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JOHNA.SEAVERNS 


Webster  Family  Library  of  Veterinary  Medicine 
Cummings  School  of  Veterinary  Medicine  at 
Tufts  University 
200  Westboro  Road 
North  Grafton,  MA  01536 


.r-xAb 


The  Chisfw[m  Qalkiy 


r      ^f    /- 


MAGNER'S 


ABC  GUIDE 


TO 

SENSIBLE  HORSESHOEING 

A  SIMPLE  AND  PRACTICAL  TREATISE  ON 
THE  ART  OF  SHOEING  HORSES.  INCLUD- 
ING CHAPTERS  ON-METHODS  OF  MAK- 
ING A  HORSE  STAND  TO  BE  SHOD.  .  .  . 
HOW  TO  TELL  THE  AGE  OF  A  HORSE, 
ETC.,  ETC 


OyER  200  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Seventeen  Colored  plates 


BY 


D.  MAGNER,  D.V.  S. 

Author  of  the  "-New  System   of  Taming  and  Educating  Horses," 
"Standard  Horse  and  Stock  Book,''  etc. 


The  Wkrner  Co. 

NE\?V  YORK  AKRON,  O.  CHICAGO 


Copyright,  1899, 

BY 

THE  WERNER  COMPANY 


BAD  TO  SHOE. 


THE  average  of  these  cases  are  very  simple  and  easy  to  manage, 
but  there  will  occasionally  be  found  among  them  horses  of  the 
most  difficult  character  to  control.  Ordinary  cases  of  this 
character  were  of  almost  daily  occurrence,  and  usually  required  but 
a  few  minutes'  time  to  make  them  stand  gently  to  have  the  feet 
handled  as  desired.  But  we  were  liable  at  any  time  to  have  a 
horse  of  this  character  that  would  test  our  power  to  the  utmost, 
and  such  cases  frequently  made  us  a  great  deal  of  trouble.  In 
the    chapter    on    "Colt-Training"    I    have    given    instructions    on 


Fig.  255. — As  a  Vicious  Horse  will  Sometimes  Act  while  being  Shod. 

handling  the  feet,  page  108,  which  may  be  referred  to  in  connection 
with  this. 

By  the  use  of  a  little  patience  and  tact,  it  is  rare  that  even  very 
sensitive  colts  cannot  be  made  to  submit  the  feet  to  be  handled  and 
pounded  upon  as  desired  ;  and  once  done,  unless  there  is  some  spe- 
cial cause  for  disturbance,  it  can  always  be  done.  It  is  true  there  is 
occasionally  a  young  horse  that  is  naturally  so  wild  and  vicious  as 
to  resist  all  ordinary  good  management  in  the  effort  to  take  up  and 
handle  the  feet  ;  but  with  our  present  methods  of  treatment,  even 
these  cases  submit  readily  to  control  in  a  short  time. 

If  a  colt  of  ordinary  good  character,  give  a  short  lesson  with  the 
First  Form  of  War  Bridle,  when  the  feet  can  be  taken  up  without  dif- 
ficulty.    The  efficiency  of  this  simple  method  of  control,  in  making 

(3) 


4  BAD    TO    SHOE. 

colts  submit  to  be  ridden,  led,  or  handled,  is  very  remarkable  ;  and 
in  no  respect  is  it  greater  than  in  allowing  the  feet  to  be  taken  up  and 
handled.  Pull  right  and  left  sharply  a  few  times  with  the  War  Bri- 
dle, or  sufficiently  to  make  the  colt  come  around  without  being 
pulled  upon  ;  then  step  back,  holding  the  cord  rather  tight,  pass  the 
right  hand  lightly  down  the  hip  and  leg  to  the  fetlock,  and  lift  the 
foot  gently ;  at  the  same  time,  with  the  left  hand,  press  hard 
against  the  hip,  so  as  to  throw  the  weight  of  the  body  upon  the  op- 
posite leg,  which  will  enable  taking  up  the  foot  more  easily.  If  sen- 
sitive, lift  it  but  a  few  inches  at  first,  and  then  let  it  rest  again  upon 
the  ground  ;  then  again  slide  the  hand  lightly  down  the  limb,  and 
lift  a  little  higher  than  before,  repeating  until  in  a  position  to  rest 
upon  the   knees  with  the  gambrel  under  the  arm.     With  the  right 


Fig.  256—  As  the  Horse  will  Standi  after  Treatment. 


hand   hammer   the  foot  lightly,  put  it   dov\  n    and    take    it   up  a  few 
times,  then  stop  and  caress. 

This  point  made,  bring  the  foot  gently  forward,  in  position  as  if 
to  clinch  down  the  nails.  Should  the  colt  at  any  tim.-  j<rk  or  pull 
the  foot  away,  let  go  and  give  a  few  sharp  pulls  with  lltt  cord,  and 
go  on  as  before  until  the  foot  can  be  taken  up  and  hainu  red  upon 
as  desired.  The  opposite  foot  must  be  treated  in  the  same  way. 
To  take  up  the  fore  foot,  rest  the  left  hand  upon  the  shoulder,  pass 
the  right  lightly  down  the  limb  to  the  fetlock,  and  at  i  h(^  instant  of 
lifting  the  foot,  as  before  explained,  with  the  other  hand  press  upon 
the  shoulder  to  throw  the  weight  upon  the  oj^posite  leg,  which  will 
relax  the  near  one,  and  make  it  easy  to  be  taken  up.  Take  up  and 
let  down  a  few  times,  tapping  it  lightly,  and  repeat  until  it  can  be 
pounded  upon  quite  hard  ;  thcii  bring  forward  upon  the  knees,  and 
proceed  the  same  as  before.  The  foot  should  not  be  held  at  any 
time  so  long,  or   grasped    so  awkwardly,  as  to  produce  fatigue,  or 


PALLIATIVE    TREATMENT.  5 

frighten  so  that  it  would  excite  inclination  to  pull  away.  By  being 
careful  at  first  but  little  difificulty  will  be  experienced  in  making  any 
ordinary  colt  submit  the  feet  to  be  taken  up  and  hammered  upon  as 
desired.  Should  the  colt  be  so  wild  or  vicious  as  to  resist  the  War 
Bridle,  subject  to  Second  Method  until  so  dizzy  and  helpless  that 
he  stops  turning. 

While  the  head  is  still  tied  around,  as  before,  rest  one  hand 
upon  the  hip,  pass  the  other  quickly  from  the  gambrel  down  to  the 
fetlock,  and  lift  the  foot  forward.    If  submitted  to,  but  little  more  need 


Fig.  5^>/  -  ruSliiig  {he  Fool  Back  while  Controlled  with  the  War  Bridie. 


be  done  ;  but  'f  resisteci,  send  aiound  again  until  h'-Ipless,  when  the 
effort  should  be  repeated.  If  .submitted  to,  untie  the  halter  and  re- 
peat the  handling.  Sometimes,  after  "the  head  is  given  freedom  and 
the  dizziness  passes  off.  the  colt  may,  unexpectedly,  kick  violently. 
To  avoid  being  struck,  stand  well  forward,  and  far  enough  out  from 
the  hip  to  be  out  of  range  of  the  foot,  and,  as  before,  while  balancing 
the  body  by  resting  the  left  hand  upon  the  hip,  with  the  right  cau- 
tiously, but  firmly,  lift  the  foot  lorward.  Should  the  colt  kick 
now,  the  hand  will  simply  be  carried  back  with  the  foot  without 
doing  harm.  When  the  foot  is  freely  submitted,  step  forward 
so  as  to  come  well  under  the  hip,  bringing  the  foot  upon  the 
knees.  If  in  this  position  he  kicks,  the  foot  will  simply  be  thrown 
out  and  back  from  the  knees,  so  that  there  will  be  no  danger  of  ac- 


6 


BAD    TO    SHOE. 


cident.  If  the  case  is  still  unmanageable  or  doubtful,  put  on  the 
double-draw  hitch  form  of  War  Bridle.  While  an  assistant  is 
holding  the  cord  (see  Fig.  257),  buckle  a  rein,  or  tie  a  cord  around 
the  foot  below  the  fetlock.  Get  directly  behind,  out  of  reach,  and 
pull  the  foot  back.  This  will  usually  be  responded  to  by  a  sharp 
kick,  or  the  foot  pulled  forward  with  energy.  If  so,  let  the  War 
Bridl'e  be  jerked  upon  once  or  twice  as  punishment.  Repeat  the  pull- 
ing at  short  intervals  until  the  foot  will  finally  be  given  back  freely, 


Fig.  258.— The  Coll  as  He  will  Stand  affer  Treatment. 


and  rested  upon  the  toe.  Now  step  forward  to  a  point  a  little  back 
of  the  shoulder,  with  one  hand  take  a  short  hold  of  the  strap,  at  the 
same  time  resting  the  other  upon  the  horse's  back,  and  pull  the  foot 
forward  repeatedly.  Usually  this  will  be  submitted  to  ;  if  so,  catch 
the  foot  and  bring  it  forward  and  back,  to  test  its  flexibility  or  sub- 
mission to  control.  If,  however,  it  is  resisted,  or  the  control  is  still 
doubtful,  pass  the  strap  over  the  neck,  back  between  the  fore  legs, 
and  up  under  the  part  over  the  back.  Pull  short  enough  to  bring 
the  leg  well  forward  under  the  body,  and  tie  into  a  half-hitch  knot. 
This  will  bring  the  weight  and  pulling  of  the  leg  directly  across  the 
back  and  neck  in  a  way  that  disables  greatly. 

Next  touch  or  lightly  slap  the  leg  until  it  is  submitted  to  freely, 


PALLIATIVE    TREATMENT. 


Fig.  259. — Simplest  Welhod  of  Making  a 
Nervous  Horse  Stand  to  be  Shod. 


when  more  freedom  should  be  given  by  giving  loose  a  little.  When 
freely  given  to  the  hand,  untie,  carry  the  leg  back  and  forward  to 
test  it,  when  take  in  both  hands  and  pound  upon  it.  as  before  ex- 
plained. After  the  foot  is  sub- 
mitted unconditionally,  keep  on 
handling  for  some  time,  giving 
apples,  etc.  The  opposite  foot 
must,  practically,  be  treated  in 
the  same  manner,  and  according 
to  the  degree  of  resistance. 

The    blacksmith's    shop    is    no 
place   in    which  to  handle  colts. 


The  fire  and  hammering  add  to 


the  general  excitem.ent,  and 
greatly  increase  the  difficulty  of 
making  the  horse  submit  the  feet. 
In  addition,  it  is  not  the  black- 
smith's duty  to  expose  himself 
to  be  injured  or  hurt,  or  to  lose' 

time  in  trying  to  shoe  a  wild,  unbroken  colt.  Such  colts  should 
always  be  handled  at  home  until  proved  gentle,  which,  by  following 
out  the  instructions  given,  will  not  be  found  a  difficult  task.  I  have 
often  found  horses  that,  in  consequence  of  fear  or  abuse  in  a  black- 
smith's shop,  could  not  be  shod 
there.  I  will  refer  here  to  but 
one  of  many  cases  in  point. 

During  my  early  experience, 
while  at  a  town  in  Southern  Penn- 
sylvania, a  horse  was  brought 
forward  for  treatment  that  could 
not  be  shod,  his  particular  cause 
of  resistance  being  fear  of  the 
blacksmith's  leather  apron.  When 
first  taken  to  the  shop  for  the 
purpose  of  being  shod,  the  ham- 
mering and  flying  sparks  greatly 
•excited  him,  and  as  the  smith 
came  forward  to  take  up  his  foot, 
the  appearance  of  his  leather 
apron  became  an  object  of  intense  fear.  In  a  short  time  the  colt 
became  so  violent  that  he  would  not  allow  any  one  with  an  apron  to 
go  near  him. 


Fig.  260. 


-Blindfolding  a  Nervous  Horse 
to  be  Shod. 


8 


BAD    TO    SHOE. 


The  owner  and  smith  concluded  they  had  a  sure  thing  in  this 
case  with  which  to  beat  me,  and  came  twelve  miles  for  the  purpose, 
leading  the  horse.  They  said  they  would  both  join  the  class  pro- 
vided I  would  make  the  horse  sufficiently  gentle  to  allow  a  man 
with  a  leather  apron  on  to  go  near  enough  to  handle  him.  At  the 
same  time  they  told  their  friends  secretly  that  I  could  do  nothing 
with  the  horse,  and  that  they  came  there  for  the  express  purpose  of 
showing  me  up  as  a  humbug.'  All  felt  so  sure  that  the  horse  would 
beat  me  that  a  large  number  joined  the  class  to  see  the  fun,  expect- 
ing of  course  they  would    get  their   money  back.     I  subjected  the 

horse  quickly  to 
the  Second 
Method  and  War 
Bridle,  not  re- 
quiring in  all 
more  than  six  or 
eight  minutes, 
when  he  could  be 
handled  without 
the  least  difficul- 
ty, bein  g  pe  r- 
fectly  regardless 
of  the  apron.  I 
ordered  the  horse 
taken  to  the 
shop,  and  accus- 
tomed to  the 
sparks  and  ham- 
mering ;  to  be  treated  kindly,  giving  apples,  etc.  •  also  to  be  shod  a 
few  times  outside  the  shop,  to  make  sure  of  his  docility. 

To  show  the  simplicity  of  what  may  appear  difficult,  it  is  worthy 
of  mention  that  at  the  same  place,  a  party  of  three  men  —  a  father 
and  two  sons  —  were  employed  over  three  hours  in  trying  to  lead  a 
six-year-old  colt,  pulling,  pushing,  and  backing  him  by  main  force, 
to  the  place  of  exhibition,  a  distance  of  not  over  one  fourth  of  a 
mile.  The  conditions  were  that  I  must  make  him  follow  me  freely 
across  the  b^n  floor.  A  few  sharp  pulls  with  the  War  Bridle  were 
sufficient  to  make  the  horse  run  after  me,  not  requiring  in  all  more 
than  two  minutes,  proving  so  conclusively  the  ignorance  and  bad 
management  of  the  parties  that  they  were  laughed  at  and  ridiculed 
by  the  entire  class.     (See  Fig.  155.) 


Fio.  261.— As  the  Cord  may  be  Adjusted  for  Control  of  Simple  Cases. 


FA  LLIA  TI VF    TEE  A  TMENT. 


9 


Confirmed  in  the  Habit. 

As  the  main  object  in  the  management  of  most  cases  is  to  make 
them  submit  to  be  shod  with  the  least  trouble,  I  will  first  give  the 
simplest  treatment  for  doing  so.  Indeed,  this  simple  treatment,  with 
a  little  care,  will  often  be  sufficient  for  the  control  of  even  very  bad 

cases. 

If  the  horse  is  very  sensitive 
and  excitable,  but  naturally  gen- 
tle if  given  his  own  way,  a  great 
deal,  of  course,  depends  upon  the 
good  management  of  the  shoer, 
but  as  much  on  the  aid  of  the 
owner.  Try  the  following  course  : 
When  the  smith  is  in  position, 
and  ready,  his  left  hand  resting 
on  the  horse's  hip,  let  the  owner, 
or  some  good,  quiet  man,  catch 
the  horse's  ear  with  one  hand, 
squeezing  or  twisting  it  a  little  ; 
with  the  other  stroke  the  nose, 
or  grasp  the  muzzle,  and  hold 
firmly  but  gently,  at  the  same 
time  talking  to  the  horse  kindly. 

If  there  is  resistance  to  this,  try  blindfolding.    Tie  a  blanket,  or  some- 
thing convenient,  over  the  eyes,  at  the  same  time  rubbing  the  nose, 

etc.      With  care  on  the  part  of 

the  shoer,  cases  that  have  proved 

very  difficult  to  shoe  will  submit 

at  once  to  be  shod  as  desired.     If 

these   expedients  fail,  put  on  the 

cord,  the  First,  or  Double-Draw 

Hitch  Form,  and  make  the  horse 

feel  its    power  by    giving  a   few 

sharp  pulls  right  and  left.     Then 

step    back    to  the  hips,  pull  the 

head  around  a  little,  keeping  the 

cord  taut,  and  take  up  the  foot, 

punishing  instantly   for   any   re- 
sistance.    Or,  stand  to  the  head, 

and  keep  the  cord  drawn  rather 

tight  to  hold  the  attention  of  the  horse  while  an  assistant  takes  up 


Fig.  262.— Simple  Method  of  Using  the  Cord 

for  the  Control  of  Horses  Bad  to 

Shoe,  Harness,  etc. 


Fig.  263.— Method  of  Putting  on  the  Cord 
when  the  Horse  Proves  Very  Stubborn. 


10 


BAD    TO    SHOE, 


the  foot.  If  the  horse  is  very  stubborn,  bring  the  second  turn  of  the 
cord  over  the  upper  jaw,  under  the  lip.  This  part  being  very  sen- 
sitive, a  slight  pressure  hurts  so  severely  as  to  disconcert  the  horse 

sufficiently  to  make  him  submit. 
Or  the  cord,  Second  Form,  can 
be  put  on,  with  the  loop  brought 
over  the  upper  jaw,  and  pulled 
sufficiently  taut  to  force  submis- 
sion. In  either  case,  gradually 
let  up  as  the  horse  submits.  In 
no  case  should  the  cord  be  held 
ti^ht  more  than  half  a  minute  at 

o 

a  time. 

The  four-ring  bit  properly  used 
will  sometimes  work  extremely 
well  in  making  a  horse  submit  to 
be  shod.  The  bit  is  put  into  the 
mouth  with  an  ordinary  head- 
piece, and  the  strap  closely  ad- 


FiG.  264.— Showing  the  Manner  of  Letting 
up  on  the  Cord  as  the  Horse  Submits. 


justed  across  the  nose.  Now  tie  the  end  of  the  cord  to  the  near 
ring,  pass  it  around  and  tie  to  the  opposite  one  back  of  the  jaw  ; 
then  pass  over  the  neck,  well  back  and  down  behind  the  jaw,  as 
for  second  form  of  War  Bridle. 
Now,  by  pulling  down  upon  the 
cord,  the  joint  of  the  bit  will  be 
forced  up  against  the  roof  of  the 
mouth,  which  hurts  so  severely 
that  the  horse  is  at  once  discon- 
certed, or  disabled  sufficiently  to 
permit  the  foot  to  be  taken  up. 
The  amount  of  pressure  or  force 
of  the  pulling  must  be  regulated 
according  to  the  resistance.  If 
there  is  submission  in  a  short 
time,  the  lightest  pressure  will  be 
sufficient  to  make  the  horse  stand 
quietly  to  be  shod.  There  is  this 
to  be  said  about  this  method  of 
treatment,  as  well  as  that  of  the  War  Bridle  :  If  it  works  at  all,  it 
seems  to  work  so  well  as  to  leave  nothing  to  be  desired.  But  if  it 
fails,  the  failure  will  be  equally  marked.  It  is,  however,  but  just  to 
add  that  though  in  many  cases  failing,  the  power  of  the  War  Bridle 


Fig.  265.— Four-ring  Bit.    Method  of 
Pulling  down  on  the  Cord. 


PALLIATIVE    TREATMENT. 


11 


or  four-ring  bit,  when  properly  used,  is  sometimes  wonderful,  the 
horse  at  once  submitting  unconditionally. 

Tying  the  head  to  the  tail  so  as  to  keep  the  head  bent  around 
pretty  well,  will  sometimes  make  a  horse  submit  to  be  shod,  but  not 
often.  This  means,  with  that  of  putting  the  cord  under  the  upper 
lip,  which  I  copy  below,  has  been  of  late  so  extensively  published 
as  an  infallible  means  of  making  the  most  vicious  horses  stand  to  be 
shod,  ridden,  etc.,  that  I  think  it  necessary  to  give  some  explanation 
of  them  here  : — 

"Mastering  Vicious  Horses. 

"  Recently  an  exhibition  was  given  at  the  corner  of  Ninth  and  Howard  streets  of 
a  new  and  very  simple  method  of  taming  vicious  horses,  which  is  claimed  to  be  su- 
perior to  any  in  use.  The  first  trial  was  with  a  kicking  and  bucking  mare,  which, 
her  owner  says,  has  allowed  no  rider  on  her  back  for  five  years.  She  became  tame 
and  gentle  in  as  many  minutes,  and  allowed  herself  to  be  ridden  about  without  a 
sign  of  her  former  wildness.  The  means  by  which  this  result  was  accomplished  con- 
sisted of  a  piece  of  light  rope,  which  was  passed  around  the  front  jaw  of  the  mare, 
just  above  the  upper  teeth,  crossed  in  her  mouth,  and  then  secured  back  of  her 
neck.  It  is  claimed  that  no  horse  will  kick  or  jump  when  thus  secured,  and  that  a 
bucking  horse,  after  receiving  this  treatment  a  few  times,  will  abandon  his  vicious 
ways  forever.  A  very  simple  method  was  also  shown  by  which  a  kicking  horse  can 
be  shod.  It  consisted  in  connecting  the  animal's  head  and  tail  by  means  of  a  rope 
fastened  to  the  tail  and  then  to  the  bit,  and  drawn  tightly  enough  to  incline  the 
horse's  head  to  one  side.  It  is  claimed  that  it  is  absolutely  impossible  for  a  horse  to 
kick  on  the  side  of  the  rope.  At  the  same  exhibition  a  horse  which  for  many  years 
had  to  be  bound  on  the  ground  to  be  shod,  suffered  the  blacksmith  to  bperate  on  him 
without  attempting  to  kick  while  secured  in  the  manner  described." 

This  is  from  the  same  piece  as  the  Maine  man's  method  of 
breaking  a  balking  horse,  referred  to  in  "  Balk- 
ing." As  I  brought  both  these  methods  of 
treatment  into  use,  and  have  had  almost  un- 
limited experience  with  them,  I  think  I  am 
able  to  determine  their  value   with    more  ac- 


FiG.  266. — The  Cord  as  Used  with  the  Four-ring  Bit. 

curacy  than  it  is  possible  for  inexperienced  persons  to  do.     While 
they  will  secure  the  control  of  many,  even  quite  bad  cases,  as   ex- 


12 


BAD    TO    SHOE. 


plained,  they  cannot  by  any  means  be  depended  upon  for  the  con- 
trol of  really  difficult  cases.  They  were  used  by  me  almost  daily 
under  circumstances  like  the  following  : — 

After  subjecting  a  horse  to  the  Second  Method,  while  still  tied, 
the  effort  would  frequently  be  made  to  take  up  the  foot  ;  but  it  was 
rarely,  unless  thoroughly  subdued,  that  the  foot  would  be  submit- 
ted. The  same  is  true  of  the  cord,  or  War  Bridle.  It  was  often 
a  matter  of  considerable  importance  to  be  able  to  control  some  cases 
quickly,  and  I  would,  as  an  experiment,  try  the  most  simple  and  di- 


Fig.  267. — Pulling  the  Foot  back  to  Test  the  Horse's  Submission. 

rect  methods  of  management.  I  have  experimented  in  this  way 
thousands  of  times  before  and  after  regular  subjective  treatment  with 
the  War  Bridle,  and  cannot  regard  it  as  more  than  palliative,  since  it 
would,  in  a  great  many  cases,  prove  entirely  inefficient.  Even  with 
the  Double-Draw  Hitch,  its  most  powerful  and  effective  form,  which 
until  recently  we  kept  a  secret,  and  used  only  as  a  reserve,  we  could 
not  depend  upon  it.  Twenty-five  years  ago  the  War  Bridle  was  my 
principal  resource  for  controlling  colts  and  bucking  horses  to  ride. 
But  it  is  entirely  inferior  to  the  Second  Method  for  the  control  of 
bad  cases.  Simply  tying  the  head  to  the  tail,  and  sending  the  horse 
around  until  dizzy,  then  mounting  from  the  outside,  so  as  not  to  get 
entangled  by  the  strap,  the  horse  will  be  found  so  helpless  that  he 
cannot  buck  ;  should  he  attempt  it,  he  would  simply  be  carried 
around  the  more  rapidly  until  submissive. 

The  matter  of  breaking  bucking  colts  and  horses  was  a  common, 
and,  sometimes,  a  very  formidable  difficulty  to  meet.     One  of  the 


SUBJECT  I VE    THE  A  TMENT. 


13 


worst  cases  I  ever  came  across  was  a  ten-year-old  mule  in  Central 
Mississippi.  It  was  proved  absolutely  impossible,  even  by  the  re- 
straint of  any  kind  of  rigging,  to  mount  or  keep  upon  this  brute's 
back.  In  fact,  the  case  was  so  bad,  and  the  people  felt  so  sure  that 
I  could  not  ride  her,  that  they  made  up  a  large  class  for  me,  knowing 
they  would  get  their  money  back  if  I  failed  to  do  so.  I  simply  sub- 
jected her  to  the  Second  Method  sharply,  and  in  less  than  fifteen 
minutes  rode  her  as  I  pleased.  This  would  have  been  impossible  by 
the  palliative  means  referred  to.  She  was  a  good  representative  of 
the  mustang  nature.     This  is  the  only  method  of  treatment  by  which 


Fig.  268. — As  the  Foot  will  be  Rested  upon  the  Ground  after  Submitting. 


a  strong,  determined  bucker  can  be  safely  and  easily  mastered. 

It  was  frequently  the  case  that  we  would  have  for  our  main  sub- 
ject a  horse  that  was  particularly  bad  in  shoeing.  As  a  test  of  suc- 
cess, it  would  be  often  required  that  the  horse  be  shod  in  a  black- 
smith's shop.  Now  after  being  subjected  to  regular  treatment,  there 
would  usually  be  but  little  trouble  in  taking  up  and  hammering  upon 
the  feet  as  much  as  desired  at  the  place  of  treatment ;  while  we 
would  sometimes  have  all  we  could  do,  even  by  the  most  severe  use 
of  the  War  Bridle,  to  handle  such  in  the  shop. 

Treatment  for  Very  Vicious  Cases. 

Very  much  depends  upon  the  disposition  of  the  horse  and  the 
treatment  pursued.  In  most  cases  the  following  will  be  found  easy 
and  effectual :  Subject  to  the  Third  Method,  using  more  or  less 
pressure,  according  to   the   case.     While   the  cord   is  on,  attach  a 


14  BAD    TO    SHOE. 

strap  or  rein  to  the  hind  foot,  and  pull  back  as  previously  explained. 
At  first  there  will  usually  be  great  resistance,  the  horse  kicking  with 
great  spitefulness,  or  pulling  the  foot  forward  energetically.  But 
-however  much  he  may  resist  at  first,  it  must  not  be  accepted  as  a 
cause  for  discouragement.  Simply  keep  pulling  the  foot  back  at 
short  intervals  until  there  is  no  resistance.  When  given  freedom,  it 
will  be  rested  upon  the  toe,  then  pull  forward  and  back  as  before  ex- 
plained. In  some  cases  it  maybe  necessary  to  tie  forward  by  bring- 
ing the  strap  over  the  neck,  back  between  the  legs,  and  making  fast 
to  hold  the  foot  firmly  until  all  resistance  is  overcome.  Treat  the 
opposite  foot  in  the  same  manner. 

This  was  the  treatment  pursued  by  us  with  the  most  success  in 
the  management  of  the  worst  cases.  A  good  deal  of  course  will  de- 
pend upon  the  use  of  tact  and  good  management,  as  before  ex- 
plained. A  coarse-grained,  passionate  man  can  very  soon  undo  a 
great  deal  of  good  work.  In  the  management  of  these  critical  cases 
a  great  point  is  made  by  having  a  good,  quiet  man  to  stand  at  the 
head  and  stroke  the  nose,  and  it  is  needless  to  state  that  the  smith 
should  be  a  man  of  considerable  patience  ;  but  when  the  case  is  se- 
rious it  should  never  be  shod  in  the  shop.  All  this  should  be  done 
where  free  from  the  excitement  and  annoyance  of  such  a  place.  This 
is  a  point  I  would  particularly  impress  upon  the  reader  —  to  attend 
to  accomplishing  your  end  well  at  home,  then  take  such  precaution 
as  you  can  without  exciting  or  annoying  the  horse  much  when  it 
becomes  necessary  to  shoe  him  at  the  shop. 

To  give  an  idea  of  the  power  of  this  treatment  when  properly 
applied,  I  will  refer  to  its  effects  upon  a  few  special  cases. 

At  Bellows  Falls,  Vt.,  a  paper-maker  owned  a  fine  horse,  which, 
though  otherwise  very  gentle,  was  extremely  hard  to  shoe.  A  trav- 
eling horseman  of  much  experience  and  a  great  deal  of  pretension, 
visited  the  place  and  made  a  small  class.  The  owner,  wishing  to 
have  his  horse  broken,  brought  him  in  to  be  experimented  upon. 
According  to  the  gentleman's  statement  to  me,  this  man  worked 
with  the  horse  about  half  a  day,  injuring  him  very  severely, —  in  the 
owner's  language,  "almost  killed  him."  The  result  of  it  all  was 
that  the  horse  beat  the  man  completely,  and  was  more  reckless  and 
determined  in  his  opposition  than  before.  I  requested  the  gentle- 
man to  let  me  see  the  horse.  Finding  him  to  be  naturally  of  a  good 
disposition,  and  that  his  resistance  proceeded  mainly  from  excite- 
ment, I  told  the  owner  we  would  have  no  difficulty  at  all  with  the 
horse,  and  succeeded  in  making  him  perfectly  gentle  in  about  fifteen 
minutes. 


SUBJECTIVE    TREATMENT.  15 

The  day  following,  at  the  next  point  we  found  an  eight-year-old 
mare,  considered  impossible  to  shoe.  The  temperament  being  suit- 
able, we  subjected  her  to  Second  Method  and  War  Bridle,  which 
made  her  entirely  submissive  in  about  ten  minutes.  The  next  day, 
at  Putney,  Vt.,  the  kicking,  runaway  horse  was  presented.  Refer- 
ence is  made  to  these  consecutive  cases  to  show  the  frequency  with 
which  exceptionally  vicious  horses  were  brought  for  experiment  and 
the  success  in  their  treatment. 

In  the  management  of  many  cases,  either  or  both  the  First  and 
Second  Methods  may  be  used  with  advantage  in  connection  with  the 
Third  Method,  but  it  should  always  be  done  at  home,  where  there  is 
time  and  privacy  to  apply  and  carry  out  the  treatment  properly. 

Leaning  Over. 

There  are  occasionally  horses  that  will  allow  the  foot  to  be 
taken  up,  but  will  lie  down  or  lean  over  upon  the  blacksmith  while 
it  is  held.  Usually  a  few  pulls  with  the  War  Bridle,  repeating  them 
for  each  occurrence  of  lying  over,  until  he  learns  to  stand  without 
leaning,  will  be  sufficient.  If  this  is  resisted,  subject  to  Second 
Method.  While  the  head  is  tied  around,  take  up  the  foot  and  test 
until  he  will  stand  squarely.  If  there  is  any  inclination  to  lean  over 
after  the  head  is  given  freedom,  disconcerting  a  little  with  the  cord 
should  be  sufficient.  Sometimes  it  is  advisable  to  stand  at  the  head 
ready  to  punish,  while  an  assistant  takes  up  and  holds  the  foot  as  if 
to  shoe.  Though  a  horse  may  for  some  time  be  sullen  and  persist- 
ent in  leaning  over,  it  is  not  usually  a  difficult  habit  to  overcome. 
Once  compelled  to  stand,  it  is  seldom  necessary  to  repeat  the  lesson. 

It  should  have  been  stated  in  the  proper  place  that  there  must 
be  no  effort  to  push  against  the  quarters  ;  but  the  moment  there 
is  an  effort  to  lean  over,  the  foot  should  be  instantly  dropped,  and 
the  punishment  with  the  War  Bridle  made  somewhat  severe,  and 
this  repeated  until  there  is  submission. 


Fig.  429.— The  Fool  and  Limb 
with  Hoof  Sliin  Removed. 


SHOEING. 
Preliminary  Explanations. 

DURING  my  early  experience  I  was  in- 
duced, by  the  advice  of  friends,  to 
give  what  instruction  I  could  on  shoe- 
ing. With  this  object,  I  had  prepared  models 
of  the  hoof,  and  the  best  forms  of  shoes,  and 
was  frequently  led  to  give  short  lectures  on 
the  subject.  It  was  not,  however,  until  I 
visited  New  York  City,  in  1872,  and  had 
several  conversations  with  Mr.  Robert  Bon- 
ner on  shoeing,  that  I  was  able  to  obtain 
anything  like  a  correct  idea  of  the  principles 
of  doing  this.  I  found  that  what  was  pub- 
lished in  books  accessible  on  the  subject,  was 
but  the  merest  rubbish,  calculated  in  many 
respects  to  seriously  mislead  and  do  harm. 
Mr.  Bonner  had  just  purchased  the  mare 
Princess,  the  famous  old  competitor  of  Flora 
Temple.  Her  feet  were  badly  contracted, 
and  the  tendons  of  the  legs  greatly  thick- 
ened, causing  her  to  move  almost  as  sore 
and  stiff  as  a  foundered  horse.  He  assured 
me  that  before  I  left  the  city  the  feet  would 
look  entirely  natural,  and  that  she  would 
travel  with  as  much  freedom  and  ease  as  a 
colt.  From  my  knowledge  of  the  subject, 
it  seemed  utterly  impossible  to  cure  such  a 
case  ;  and  yet,  to  my  astonishment,  in  less 
than  three  months  afterward  she  was  per- 
fectly well.  I  was  startled,  first,  to  find  that 
I  knew  nothing  of  the  subject  ;  second,  that 
there  was  so  little  known  about  it  practical- 
ly ;  and  third,  that  a  gentleman  for  his  own 
amusement  proved  to  mQ  that  he  had  a  far 

(16) 


SHOEING. 


17 


deeper  and  more  correct  knowledge  of  it  than  doubtless  any  man 

of  his  time.* 

At  any  rate,  I  was  now  led  to 
study  the  subject  in  an  entire- 
ly different  light,  and  though 
far  from  being  able  to  give  the 
instruction  on  this  subject  I 
would  like  to  do,  for  want  of 
the  requisite  knowledge,  I 
have  done  the  best  I  could 
to  make  the  instructions  so 
simple  and  practical  that  they 
will  at  least  serve  to  correct 
some  of  the  wretchedly  bad 
treatment  practiced  by  sho- 
ers.  I  have  tried  also  to  in- 
clude such  illustrations  of  the 


Fig.  430. — Lateral  View  of  Horse's  Fool  afler 
Removal  of  the  Hoof. 


structure  of  the  foot  as  would  show  its 
various  parts  most  clearly,  with  other 
features  of  most  interest  to   shoers. 

The  bones  of  the  foot  are  so  nicely 
adjusted  and  balanced  by  the  ligaments 
and  tendons  of  the  limb,  that  there  is 
no  unequal  strain  brought  upon  any 
joint,  but  each  assists  in  supporting  the 
others.  But  if  the  heels  are  raised  too 
high,  or  the  toe  left  too  long,  there  will 
be  correspondingly  increased  strain 
brought  upon  the  ligaments  and  ten- 
dons supporting  the  back  or  front  part. 
In  like  manner,  raising  or  lowering  the 


Fig.  431. — Inferior  View  of  Foot 
with  Hoof  Removed. 


*  Indeed,  this  is  conceded  now  by  even  the  leading  members  of  the  veterinary- 
prof  ession,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  following  statement  by  Dr.  Going,  formerly  vet- 
erinary editor  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Times,  which  I  copy  from  his  Veterinary  Diction- 
ary.    He  says  : — 

"  It  is  said  that  no  man  has  ever  yet  reached  perfection  in  any  branch  of  art, 
science,  literature,  industry,  etc.;  but  while  I  am  unprepared  to  join  issue  with  the 
assertion^  I  can  safely  say  that  the  nearest  approach  which  has  ever  been  made  in 
this  connection  (horse-shoeing  and  the  study  of  the  horse's  foot)  has  been  made  by 
Robert  Bonner,  Esq.,  of  New  York,  who,  had  not  the  Ledger  already  made  him  fa- 
mous, would  undoubtedly  have  obtained  widespread  renown  through  his  almost  su- 
perhuman knowledge  in  this  department.  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  conversing 
with  him  on  this  subject,  and  am  pleased  to  have  an  opportunity  of  stating  the  im- 
pression the  conversation  made  ujion  me." 


18 


SHOmNG. 


inner  or  outer  quarter  would 
produce  a  lateral  strain  upon 
the  joints  and  ligaments, 
which  must  ultimately  cause 
the  foot  to  grow  out  of  line, 
and  induce  serious  injury. 
Consequently,  the  point  to 
be  attended  to  in  removing 
excessive  growth  of  the  wall 
in  preparing  it  for  the  shoe, 
is  to  preserve  or  restore  the 
natural  angle  and  direction 
of  the  hoof.     This  is  one  of 


Fig.  432. — Coffin  Bone  Showing  Inlemal  Lateral 
Cartilage,  Internal  and  Posterior  View. 

A,  coffin  bone;  B,  internal  aspect  of  the  lateral 
cartilage. 


Fig.  433.— Lateral  View  of  the 
Pastern  Bones  and  Ligaments. 


the  important  points,  in  doing  which  suc- 
cessfully the  genius  of  true  skill  and  suc- 
cess must  be  shown.  A  large  number  of 
illustrations  are  given  showing  good  forms 
and  positions  of  the  feet  and  legs,  with 
faulty  forms.  Also  the  various  lines  of 
movement  of  the  feet  when  in  motion. 
These  are  to  be  studied  in  paring  the  feet 
to  change  or  modify  the  action  as  may  be 
desired. 

First,  in  preparing  the  foot  for  the  shoe, 
the  aim  should  be  to  cut  away  so  much 
of  the  wall  as  would  be  a  surplus  of  growth, 
or  so  much  only  as  would  bring  it  back 
to  its  natural  form  and  adjustment.  As 
a  rule,  the  wall  should  be  lowered  to  the 
level  of  the  unpared  sole.  The  sole  and 
frog  should  on  no  account  be  pared  or 
touched  by  the  knife,  nor  should  the 
heels  be  "opened."  The  horny  sole  and 
frog,  unlike  the  wall,  do  not  grow  in- 
definitely ;  but  when  they  have  attained  a 
certain  thickness,  they  throw  off  the  su- 
perfluous or  old  horn  in  flakes  or  scales. 
This  natural  thickness  of  the  sole  and 
frog-horn  is  an  essential  condition  for  the 


a,  Lateral  ligament  of  the  fetlock;    i,   Anterior  lateral  ligament  of  the  coffin  joint;  c,  Sus- 
pensory ligament ;  f,  Lateral  sesamoidal  ligament. 


SEOUIiYG. 


19 


Fig.  434 

A,  ospedis  or  coflBn  bone;  B,  trans- 
verse section  of  lateral  cartilage. 

Second,  the  shoe  should  be 
in  form,  so  that  when  on,  the 
adjustment  of  the  foot,  or  its 
power  to  obtain  hold  or  grasp 
upon  the  ground,  will  be 
what  it  was  before  being 
shod,  and  yet  sustain  the 
wear  for  the  time  it  is  in- 
tended to  be  on. 

Third,  it  should  be  nailed 
on  firmly,  yet  so  as  to  break 
or  weaken  the  wall  of  the 
hoof  as  little  as  possible,  and 
not  interfere  with  the  free- 
dom of  the  quarters  or  en- 
largement of  the  foot  as  it 
grows. 

In  its  natural  condition  the 
outer  rim  or  wall  of  the  foot 
comes  in  contact  with  the 
ground  first  ;  second,  the  frog 
and  outer  edge  of  the  sole  ; 
third,  the  -center  of  the  foot 


maintenance  of  the  foot  in  health  and 
its  protection  from  injury.  In  any 
event,  about  all  that  is  necessary  to 
do  is  to  remove  those  loosened  and 
detached  flakes,  which,  were  it  not 
for  the  shoe,  would  have  exfoliated 
themselves.  Cutting  away  more  than 
this  becomes  a  serious  cause  of  in- 
jury. The  angles  between  the  bars 
and  crust  should  be  moderately  pared 
out,  as  accumulations  here,  with  con- 
tinued pressure  of  the  shoe,  are  apt 
to  induce  corns.  The  frog  does  not 
require  paring  more  than  the  removal 
of  ragged  parts,  and  even  these  better 
not  be  touched. 


Fig.  435. — Anterior  and  External  View  of  Right 
Front  Foot. 

a,  Exterior  pedis  ligament;  b,  Suspensory  liga- 
ment. 


20 


SHOETNG. 


and  spaces  between  the  bars  and  frog.  To  show  this  more  clearly, 
three  sectional  drawings  are  made  from  half-size  casts,  showing  the 
concavity  of  the  foot  at  different  points  between  the  heel  and  turn 
of  the  hoof,  and  the  necessarily  great  disturbance  of  this  relation  by 

the  form  of  shoe 

usually    put    on. 

Fig.  A  shows  the 

foot  at  the  point 

of  the    heels   as 

it  rests  upon  the 

ordinary      thick 

shoe,  with  calks 

raising   the  frog 

and  sole  so  un- 
naturally      high 

from  the  ground 

that     there    can 

be  no  contact  of 

those  parts  with 

it   necessary    for 

obtaining    mois- 


ture and  preserv- 
ing a  condition 
of  health.  In  ad- 
dition it  will  be 
noticed  that  in 
the  way  shoes 
are  usually  fitted, 
the  bearing  sur- 
face is  very  much 
concaved,  tend- 
ing to  crowd  the 

Fig.  436.— Right  Front  Foot,  quarters  togeth-   Fm.  437.— Inferior,  Lateral,  and  Pes 
Posterior  and  Sligiitly  ^j.    p|^    g  shows      *erior  View  of  the  Right  Front  Fool,. 

the    same,     with         Showing  Ligaments  of  Tendons. 


Lateral  View. 


same, 

a,  c,  Perforans  tendon ;  f,        r  i    fittinP"        »,    Sensitive    frog;     h,    Perforans 

Suspensory  ligament.  '-'  &    tendon;  f,  Suspensory  ligament. 

of  shoes  as  they 
should  be  ;  Figs.  C  and  D  show  the  same  at  relative  distances  be- 
tween there  and  the  turn  of  the  foot ;  D,  at  the  widest  part,  repre- 
senting a  heavy  shoe.     (See  page  347,  Figs.  472-475.) 

If  a  colt's  foot  grows  too  long  or  out  of  line,  it  should  be  leveled 
down    so    as   to    make    the    adjustment   natural,    the    outer    edg.e 


SHOEING. 


21 


Fig.  438.— Horizontal  Section  of 
the  Horny  Frog. 

a,  Horn  tubes :  b,  Cells  between 
tubes. 


rounded  a  little,  and  the  colt  driven  barefoot.  It  is  noticeable  that  ex- 
cessive wear  is  always  at  the  toe,  and 
that  the  heels  rarely  suffer,  even  on 
bad  roads,  and  this  being  true,  tips  or 
thin  steel  plates  only  should  be  used, 
and  that  thick  and  high  heeled  shoes 
^^  are  not  only  certainly  unnecessary 
but  seriously  injurious — that,  in  fact, 
in  all  cases  the  best  shoeing  for  the 
feet,  for  all  roads  and  seasons,  when 
in  a  good  condition  of  health,  must 
be  such  as  will 
permit  them 
to  be  as  nearly 
barefoot  as  possible,  or,  at  least,  that  the 
posterior  part  is  so,  yet  sustaining  the  attri- 
tion of  wear  to  which  they  may  be  subjected, 
prevent  slipping,  and  best  preserve  the 
natural  adjustment  of  the  feet. 

Tips  or  Thin  Shoes. 

If  tips  or  thin  steel  plates  are  to  be  used, 
simply  trim  off  the  wall  in  front  down  to  a 
level  with  the  sole,  and  adjust  to,  and  nail  on, 
with  four  small  nails,  a  small  thin  strip  of 
steel  or  iron  a  little  broader  than  the  thick- 
ness of  the  wall.  Steel  would  be  best,  be- 
cause it  admits  of  being  made  lighter,  and 
wears  longer.  The  heels  and  frog  should 
not  be  interfered  with  unless  one  heel  is 
much  higher  than  the  other,  when  it  should 
be  lowered  sufficiently  to  restore  the  proper 
adjustment.  The  objection  to  tips  is  that, 
as  the  toe  is  growing,  the  heels  are  wearing, 
which  in  time  would  be  likely  to  increase 
the  strain  upon  the  flexor  tendon  and  its 
appendages.  This  disproportion  of  wear 
would  be  more  rapid  and  noticeable  should 
the  roads  be  wet  and  gravelly,  as  moisture  Fig.  439.— Horizontal  Section 
and  grit  soften  the    horn    and    cause    it    to         °*  "°''"y  "'^"  ^"'^''a^''' 

break  and  wear  away  more  rapidly,  but  not       a,  Wall  with  homy  tubes; 
1  1  1  lb,  Horn  tubes;  c,   Horn  1am- 

so   much   as    may    be    supposed    on    paved    j^^g  ' 

streets  and    mud    roads.      The    writer   saw 


22 


SHOEING. 


Fig.  440.— Colt's  Foot  Three  Years  Old. 


several  horses  in  New  York  City  that  had  been  shod  with  tips  with 

decided  benefit  to  the  health  of  the  feet,  and  without  any  apparent 

disproportion  or  wearing  down 
of  the  frog  and  quarters,  though 
the  iron  was  worn  down  fully 
a  quarter  of  an  inch.  The  parts 
became,  as  it  were,  hardened 
and  polished,  thereby  resisting 
the  wear  almost  as  much  as  the 
iron. 

As  there  has  been  much  dis- 
cussion among  writers  in  rela- 
tion to  the  use  of  tips,  or  thin- 
heeled  shoes,  I  requested  Dr. 
Hamill  and  Dr.  McLellan,  the 
two  best  veterinary  authorities 
on  this  subject  in  this  country, 
to  give  me  a  statement  of  the 
cases  for  which,  in  their  judg- 
ment, tips  would  or  would  not 
be  adapted.    I  give  herewith  the 

reply  of  each,  and  invite  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  the  points 

made,     and     the     reasons    given 

""herefor.     Prof  Hamill  says  : — 

*  *  While  I  am  a  firm  advocate 
of  frog  and  sole  pressure,  and  have  driven 
my  own  horses  for  years  over  the  pave- 
ments of  Nev?  York  City  with  nothing 
on  the  feet  but  what  is  known  as  the 
English  tip  or  toe-piece  shoe,  which  gives 
the  foot  the  entire  freedom  of  all  its  nat- 
ural movements,  yet  I  must  say  it  would 
be  absurd  to  attempt  to  shoe  every  horse 
in  this  way.  There  are  any  number  of 
cases  where  this  system  would  be  in- 
jurious to  the  foot,  and  even  to  the  limb. 
But  as  the  foot,  or  rather  that  part  of  it 
inclosed  within  the  hoof,  is  the  object 
oftenest  under  consideration,  I  shall  ex- 
plain briefly  how  it  may  suffer  from 
extreme  frog-pressure.  (One  point  which 
we  should  always  keep  in  view  is  a  due 
proportion,  or  equal  distribution  of  the 
weight  in  ali  parts  of  the  hoof,  and  by  no 
other  system  can  the  foot  be  healthy.) 


Fig.  441.— Colt's  Foot  Four  Years  Old. 
From  a  Cast. 


SHOEING. 


23 


Fig.  442.— Half  Hoof  Removed. 


Any  foot  that  is  thin  in  its  general  structure,  but  more  so  in  its  vertical  position, 
or  from  top  to  bottom,  and  with  the  frog  full  at  its  pyramidal  eminence  or  body,  is 
not  a  proper  foot  for  frog-pressure.      In  such  feet  the  plantar  cushion,  or  what  is 

known  as  the  fibrous  or  fatty  frog, 
is  very  thin,  is  easily  made  weaker 
by  absorption  through  extreme  pres- 
sure or  irritation  on  the  horny  frog, 
and  therefore  offers  very  little  pro- 
tection to  the  great  flexor  tendon 
where  it  passes  under  the  navicular 
lione. 

But  I  may  be  asked.  How  could 
his  in  any  way  cause  injury,  if  the 
lavicular  joint  be  perfect,  as  the 
tendon  requires  only  a  slight  cushion 
underneath?  My  answer  is,  that 
there  is  a  double  impingement  of  the 
tendon,  owing  to  the  navicular  bone 
descending  on  the  tendon  every  time 
weight  is  thrown  on  the  limb,  the 
proof  of  which  is  the  pain  caused 
by  this  action  on  the  internal  struct- 
ures of  the  hoof.  I  ask.  Where  is 
the  shoeing-smith  who  has  not  seen  the  agony  of  a  horse  while  standing  on  one  bare 
foot  on  the  level  floor  while  the  other  foot  is  being  shod,  and  the  relief  which  fol- 
lowed when  the  shod  foot  was  placed  on  the  floor  ?  I  may  be  told  that  such  feet 
have  been  previously  weakened  by  bad 
shoeing  and  bad  care,  and  that  a  horse 
which  never  had  been  shod  would  not 
suffer  in  this  way.  Those  who  make  such 
assertions  are  entirely  ignorant  of  the 
anatomy  and  physiology  of  the  foot. 

My  answer  is,  that  when  a  horse  first 
comes  to  the  world  he  has  no  frog  develop- 
ment, and  for  the  first  year  of  his  life, 
while  walking  on  a  level,  can  have  no  frog- 
pressure.  It  is  only  animals  that  are  raised 
on  low  or  marshy  land  that  have  a  great 
development  of  frog.  Horses  belonging 
to  mountainous  countries  have  very  little 
frog,  and  generally  narrow  or  apparently 
contracted  feet,  which  is  no  evidence  of 
disease.  "Witness  the  ass  and  the  mule  for 
example  ;  and  I  may  add  that  although 
wide  heels  are  generally  desirable,  they 
are  no  evidence  in  themselves  of  perfect 
health.  I  am  well  aware  that  most  thin 
heels,  and  generally  thin  feet,  have  a  large 

frog,  but  the  depth  of  such  a  frog  is  more  apparent  than  real,  as  it  will  be  found  on 
close  investigation  that  the  flexor  tendon  and  navicular  structure  are  lower  or  nearer 
the  ground-surface  in  such  a  foot.     Therefore  we  must  discriminate  in  all  cases,  as 


Fig.  443. — Inferior  View  of  the  Above. 


24 


SHOEING. 


Fig.  444. — Showing  the  Coronary  Band. 


one  mistake  may  cause  irreparable  injury.  To  be  definite,  we  can  safely  give  extra 
frog  and  heel  pressure  in  all  cases  where  the  hoof  is  deep  at  the  quarters,  where  there 
is  a  tendency  toward  contraction  and  atrophy  of  the  frog,  where  the  obliquity  of  the 
pastern  is  not  too 
great,  and  where  the 
feet  and  limbs  are  per- 
fectly sound  and  well 
proportioned.  (This  lat- 
ter will  narrow  the 
circle  more  than  most 
people  are  aware  of.) 
No  thoughtful  man 
would  dare  to  throw 
extra  weight  on  the 
sole  and  frog  of  a  foot 
that  had  long  suffered 
with  navicular  disease, 
however  excellent  this 
would  be  as  a  pre- 
ventive.      Neither 

should  we  throw  extra  weight  on  the  posterior  parts  of  a  foot  or  limb  where  there 
is  any  soreness  of  flexor  muscles  or  tendons,  or  any  ligament  involved,  as  it  would 
entail  greater  tension  on  the  parts,  while  the  opposite  is  what  is  required,  viz.,  flex- 
ion or  relaxation. 

I  say  distinctly,  we  should  only  carry  frog-pressure  to  the  extent  of  bringing  into 
activity  all  the  elastic  structures  of  the  foot,  which  increases  the  circulation  of  those 

parts  so  liable  to  atrophy,  and 
only  tlirough  the  circulation  can  we 
keep  up  or  restore  the  health, 
vigor,  and  growth  of  frog,  sole, 
heels,  and  quarters  of  the  horse's 
foot. 

Prof.  McLellan  says  :— 

In  reference  to  the  use  of  tips, 
I  give  you  only  an  outline.    They 
are  useful  in  the  case  of  corns, 
in  quarter-cracks,   in    thrush,    in 
interfering,    and    in    fitting  the 
horse  to  run  at  grass.     They  are 
not  applicable  to  feet  that  have 
thin,    flat  soles,  with  low  heels. 
They  are  not  applicable  to  heavy 
work   horses  with   flat  feet  and 
prominent  frogs  (such  frogs  are 
liable  to  suffer  bruises  when  so 
exposed,    the    resulting     inflam- 
mation extending  frequently  to  deeper  and  more  vital  structures).     They  are  not  ap- 
plicable to  feet  having  navicular  disease.     They  are  not  applicable  when,  in  apply- 
ing them,  it  is  necessary  to  disturb  the  normal  relation  of  the  bones  of  the  limb. 
22  a 


Fia.  445. — Showing  Inside  of  Hoof. 


SHOEING. 


25 


They  will  be  found  particularly  useful  in  strong  feet  that  have  corns  in  both  heels, 
and  in  the  case  of  bad  interferers. 

Trimming. 

Before  preparing  the  foot  for  the  shoe,  the  smith  should  go  in 
front  and  look  at  it,  so  as  to  determine  better  its  adjustment. 
Sometimes  the  foot  may  be  run  over  by  having  one  side  too  high  or 
the  toe  worn   off  excessively.     If  it  is  desired  to  be  particular,  he 

should  see  how  the  feet  are 
carried  in  a  sharp  trot ; 
whether  too  high  or  too 
low  ;  or  whether  h?  travels 
too  close,  endangering  inter- 
fering or  cutting — using 
the  words  of  a  high  au- 
thority, "  to  see  whether 
there  are  any  traces  of  bruis- 
ing or  cutting  on  the  inner 
sides  of  hoofs,  fetlocks,  or 
knees."  He  should  also  see 
how  the  old  shoe  has  been 
worn.  The  foot  can  then 
be  taken  up,  when  a  look 
from  the  heel  forward  will 
enable  an  observing  shoer 
to  determine  how  much  and 
what  part  is  to  be  cut  away  to  level  it  to  the  proper  proportion,  and 
the  faults,  if  any,  that  can  be  modified  or  corrected.  If  the  horse 
travels  high,  the  shoes  must  be  light  ;  if  low  and  subject  to  stumb- 
ling, they  may  be  increased  in  weight  a  little,  and  the  toe  some- 
what rounded  ;  if  liable  to  strike,  then  set  close  under  the  wall  with 
edges  filed  smooth. 

The  point  is  to  cut  away  or  remove  the  surplus  growth  in  the 
easiest  and  best  manner,  which  depends  more  upon  the  deftness  and 
ingenuity  of  the  man  than  upon  the  use  of  any  special  means.  The 
wall  should  be  reduced  to  nearly  or  quite  on  a  level  with  the  outer 
margin  of  the  sole.  The  bearing  surface  of  the  entire  wall  should  be 
made  level,  so  that  an  even  bearing  surface  of  the  shoe  will  rest 
upon  it  fully.  The  rasp  should  now  be  passed  around  the  toe,  to  cut 
away  the  sharp  edges  and  bring  it  to  the  size  required.  Practically, 
this  should  be  little  more  than  rounding  off  the  sharp  edges  of  horn 
to  prevent  splitting. 


Fig.  44G.— The  Foot  Natural. 


26 


SHOi:nyG. 


Fig.  447. — Fool  Excessively 
Pared. 


The  principle  is  the  same  of  leveling  and  preparing  the  feet  of 
horses  that  have  previously  been  shod.     In  such  cases,  to  take  off 

the  shoe  the  best  method  is,  after  the  clinch- 
ers are  cut  off,  to  raise  both  heels  slightly 
with  the  pincers,  then  pry  forward  and  across 
the  foot  a  little,  when  the  nails  can  be  pulled 
out  one  by  one.  It  is  seriously  objection- 
able, as  generally  done,  to  pull  off  the  shoe 
by  force,  as  the  severe  wrenching  endangers 
tearing  the  hoof  and  straining  and  injuring 
the  foot.  This  would  be  especially  objec- 
tionable if  the  hoof  be  thin  and  the  horse 
sensitive.  Next,  any  stubs  or  nails  should  be 
removed. 

While  it  is  simply  intended  to  pare  down 
the  wall  to  its  natural  form,  if  it  is  thin  and 
weak,  growing  but  little,  especially  at  the 
heels,  where  there  is  great  difficulty  to  grow  sufficient  wall  for  the 
support  of  the  foot,  no  more  should  be  removed  than  is  barely  ne- 
cessary to  level  it.  As  before  stated,  there  should  be  no  interference 
with  sole  or  frog,  excepting  to 
chip  or  cut  away  the  portion  of 
the  old  horn  which  could  not  be 
exfoliated.  Frequently  the  heels 
are  too  high,  or  the  toe  too  long  ; 
in  either  case,  whatever  the  ex- 
cessive accumulation  or  growth 
of  horn,  it  should  be  cut  away 
until  the  foot  is  brought  back 
to  its  natural  form  and  adjust- 
ment. Sometimes  there  is  ex- 
cessive accumulation  to  the 
amount  of  half  an  inch  or  more 
at  the  heels,  or  even  of  the  whole 
wall  of  strong,  upright  feet,  yet 
to  the  ordinary  observing  shoe- 
ing-smith  it  may  not  appear  ex- 
cessive, because  cutting  away 
so  much  would  make  the  foot 
appear  to  him  to  be  unnaturally  small.  Several  specimens  of  ab- 
normal growth  of  feet  are  given.  Fig.  495,  page  355,  taken  from 
life,  is  a  good   representative  case,  and  was  seen  by  the  writer  at 


Fig.  448.— Foot  after  Four  Years'  Shoeing. 


SHOEING. 


27 


Fulton  Ferry,  New  York  City.  It  is  that  of  a  pony  mare  driven 
before  a  huckster's  wagon.  The  right  foot  was  so  contracted  by  this 
excessive  accumulation  of  horn,  that  its  mobility  was  entirely  de- 
stroyed. It  will  be  noticed  that  the  toe  of  the  shoe  is  carried 
forward  something  like  a  sled  crook,  to  enable  a  rolling  motion 
upon  the  ground.  It  was  pitiable  to  witness  the  pain 
and  misery  this  poor  animal  exhibited.  She  walked 
with  a  crippled,  sensitive  motion,  and  while  standing 
would  put  out  one  foot,  then  the  other, 
but  mostly  the  right  one.  The  case 
could  have  been  easily  relieved  of  pain 


Fig.  449. 


Fig.  450.— Too  Short    Fig.  451.— Too  Oblique, 
and  Upright. 


Fig.  452,— Natural 
Obliquity  of  Ankle. 


and  soreness,  by  simply  cutting  down  the  feet  and  thoroughly  soaking 
and  opening  the  quarters,  as  explained  in  treatmentfor  "  Contraction." 
The  dotted  lines  represent  the  point  to  which  the  horn  should  be 
cut  away,  showing   an  excess  of  accumulation  of  over  three  inches. 

The  Shoe. 

The  shoe  should,  in  form  and 
size,  little  more  than  cover  the 
wall,  excepting  at  the  heels 
where  it  should  be  so  much  wider 
and  longer  as  to  compensate  for 
the  growth  of  the  foot,  and  be 
heavy  enough  to  sustain  the  at- 
trition, or  wear,  for  the  time  it  is 
Fig.  454.— Too  High  expected  to  be  on.  But  should 
on  One  Si  e,  ^j^j^  require  an  excessive  thick- 

ness, then  the  bar  may  be  made 
wider,  to  permit  more  wearing  surface.  It  should  fit  closely  all  the 
way  around  to  the  bearing  surface  prepared  for  its  reception,  so 
that  it  may  give  to  the  crust  all  the   support  it  can   receive,  and 


Fig.  453.— Heels  too  High. 


28 


SHOEING. 


carry  out  in  its  ground  surface,  as  nearly  as  possible,  the  form  of  the 

wall  before  it  was  cut  away.     It  is  a  rule,  recognized  by  the  best 

authorities,  that  the  sole  should  not 

rest  upon  the  shoe,  except  around 

the  toe   where    the    outer    edge    is 

left  full    and  natural.      But    if  the 

wall  is  cut  down  close,  and  the  sole 

rather    thin    (which,    as    explained 

before,  in  no  case  should  be  done 

except  for  pathological  reasons),  it 

is  advisable,   if   it    comes  too  near 

the  iron,  to  lower  the  part  coming 

under  it.     As   a    rule,    the  bearing 

surface    should    be    level,    and   the 

ground  surface  concave,  or  the  in- 
ner edge   of  the  ground  surface  so 

beveled  off  that  it  will  not  harbor 

stones  and  dirt,  and  be  so  stiff  that 

it  will  not  bend. 

As  before  stated,  if  the  horse  is 

expected    to    be    driven     only    oc- 
casionally, and  upon  common  dirt 

roads,  the  wear  will  be  but  little,  and  the  shoes  should  be  corre- 
spondingly light  ;  but  if  much 
travel  is  required,  on  stony  or 
macadamized  roads,  the  weight 
should  be  sufficient  to  sustain 
such  wear.  The  addition  of  a 
small  bit  of  steel,  hammered 
well  into  the  toe,  and  tempered, 
would  add  greatly  to  its  dur- 
ability. It  would  be  much 
better  to  make  them  wholly  of 
steel,  as  they  would  be  very 
much  lighter,  equally  stiff,  and 
less  liable  to  bend. 

In  a  condition  of  health, 
from  a  light  family  driver  to 
the  heavy  draught  horse,  the 

„      ,         _      .     .  principle    of    shoeing     is    the 

Fig.  456.— Fool  too  Long.  ^  ^,         .  ,  .   ,*^ 

same  ;  the  size,  thickness,  and 

weight  only  differing  so  as  to  adapt  to  each  case,  with  the  difference 


Fig.  455.— Too  Short. 


SHOEING. 


29 


that  when  exceptional  power  is  necessary,  as  for   draught  horses^ 
or  to  prevent  slipping,  calkins  must  be  used.     As  a  rule,  nothing 

more  is  wanting,  unless  necessary 
for  extra  wear,  than  just  iron 
enough  to  protect  the  outer  crust 
of  the  foot,  and  prevent  its  break- 
ing. More  iron  than  this  becomes 
extra  weight,  and  causes  fatigue  in 
carrying,  like  thick,  heavy-soled 
shoes  or  clogs. 

It  is  a  question  among  English 
authorities  whether  a  shoe  should 
be  "  rounded  at  the  toe  "  (a  prac- 
tice known  as  the  French  system) 
to  aid  mobility. 

A  moderate  rounding  at  the 
toe  would  seem  desirable  in  all 
cases  where  there  is  want  of  mo- 
bility. It  is  especially  desirable 
when  the  horse  is  a  little  stiff  or 
sore,  as  it  enables  him  to  travel 
much  easier.  This  is  proved  when 
the  mobility  of  the  foot  is  destroyed,  and  there  is  necessity  for 
using  a  rounded  shoe  to  conform  with  the  action.  Illustrations  of  a 
large  variety  of  shoes  of  different  forms  are  given,  which  can  be 
studied. 

Prof.  Will- 
iams, of  Edin- 
borough  Veter- 
inary College, 
advises  that  the 
calkins  and 
toe-pieces 
should  be  done 
away  with  for 
a  1 1  kinds  o  f 
horses  except 
those   used    for 

heavy  draught  in  towns  where  the  streets  are  paved  and  steep. 
It  is  urged  that  all  horses  required  to  go  beyond  a  walking  pace  are 
injured  by  shoes  with  turned-up  heels  and  toes.     Farm  horses  and 


Fig.  457. — Shoe  Properly  Adjusted. 


Fig.  458.— Thin  Shoe  for 
Light  Wori<. 


Fig.  459.— Faulty,  Bad  Form 
of  Shoe. 


30 


SHOEmG. 


Fig.  460.— Toes  too  Wide. 


chose  employed  on  macadamized  roads  are  better  without  than  with 
toe-pieces,  although  the  pace  at  which  they  are  required  to  go  is 
never  faster  than  a  walk.  In  fact,  all  horses,  when  possible,  should 
be  shod  with  a  flat  shoe. 

Nailing. 

The  object  of  nailing  should  be  to  hold  the  shoe  firmly  to  the 
foot  without  injuring  the  wall,  and 
leave  the  foot  as  independent  of  the 
restraint  of  the  shoe  at  the  quarters 
as  possible.  The  nails  should  be 
driven  where  there  will  be  most  secure 
nail-hold  ;  more  or  less  as  well  as 
heavier  nails  being  necessary,  in  pro- 
portion to  the  thickness  of  the  wall, 
weight  of  the  shoe,  and  severity  of  the 
work.  The  wall  is  thickest  and 
strongest  at  the  toe  or  front,  and  be- 
comes thinner  and  more  flexible  to- 
ward the  quarters  and  heels,  especially 
at  the  inner  heels,  where  it  is  sometimes  extremely  thin  and  flexible. 
There  has  been  much  speculation  during  the  past  few  years  in 
relation  to  the  cause  of  this  quarter's  giving  out  before  the  other, 
as  nature  evidently  intended  it  to  stand  strain  and  wear  equally  with 
other  parts.  The  cause,  undoubtedly,  is  the  interference  in  its  mo- 
bility by  bad-fitting  shoes  and  nail- 
ing so  far  back  as  to  interfere  with 
the  flexibility  of  the  quarter.  This 
being  true,  it  is  evident  that  the 
principal  nailing  should  be  at  the 
toe  and  front,  because  there  is  more 
horn  there  to  nail  to,  and  less  liabil- 
ity to  do  harm  by  separating  and 
breaking  the  fibers  of  the  wall. 
They  should  not  extend  any  farther 
back  into  the  quarters  than  is  barely 
necessary  to  give  a  safe  hold  of  the 
shoe  to  the  foot.  The  fewer  and 
smaller  the  nails  driven,  the  better,  providing  they  are  sufficient  to 
hold  the  shoe.  But  much  will  depend,  in  doing  this,  on  the  ac- 
curacy of  the  fitting,  thickness  of  the  wall,  and  weight  of  the  shoe. 

If  the  nails  are  driven  well  back  on  the  outer  quarter,  and  only 
round  in  the  toe  of  the  inner  side,  for  the  purpose  of  affording  more 


Fig.  461. — Extreme  Toeing  In. 


SHOEING. 


31 


freedom  to  the  quarters,  it  will  be  found  that  as  the  foot  grows,  the 
shoe  will  be  carried  to  the  outside  quarter  and  toe  to  such  an  extent 
that  the  inner  heel  of  the  shoe  will  be  drawn  inside  of  the  wall  at  the 


© 


m 


ti 


*FiG.  462.  — Perfect  Action. 


m 


heel,  and  rest  upon  the  sole,  causing  a  bruise  or  corn. 
In  addition,  so  much  of  the  shoe  being  left  unnailed,  makes 
it  liable  to  get  loose  and  work  under  the  quarter,  which 
would  cause  a  rapid  wearing  or  breaking  down  of  struct- 
ure. All  things  considered,  the  best  way  is  to  nail  back 
to  the  turn  of -the  wall  securely.  Or  the  nailing  may  be 
extended  a  little  farther  back  on  the  outside,  and  short- 
ened a  little  on  the  inner  side,  in  any  case  giving  both 
quarters  all  the  freedom  compatible  with  security,  in  re- 
taining a  firm  hold  of  the  shoe.  As  the  foot  grows,  the 
shoe  will  be  brought  forward  so  evenly  under  it  as  not  to  do  harm. 

For  ordinary  light  shoes,  six  to  seven  nails,  evenly  distributed 
around  the  front  part,  should  be  sufficient,  sometimes  extending  the 
outer  nail  a  little  beyond  or  nearer  the  quarter  than  the  inner  one. 

But  if  the 
shoes  are 
heavy,     and 


*FiG.  463. 

Perfect    Ac 
tion. 


w  o  r 


-C- 


-c- -- 

Fig.  464.— Short  Upright  Fetlock. 


------ ^    heavier 

nails,     and 
from     seven 

to  eight  in  number,  will  in  most  cases  be  required.  A  small,  thin 
clip  turned  up  at  the  toe,  and  one  at  the  outer  quarter,  will  help 
greatly  in  holding  the  shoe  firmly  in  position  ;  but  they  should  be 
turned  up  thin,  and  set  well  out  on  the  edge  of  the  shoe. 


■  In  connection  with  figures  462,  463,  see  page  328. 


32  SHOEING. 

But  very  little  of  the  wall   should   be   cut   away,  so  as   not   to 

weaken  or  injure  it ;  but  sufficient  to  enable  bringing  the  shoe  to  its 

position.     The  shoes  should  not  be  hammered  down  tight 

to  the  wall,  but  simply  sufficient  to  rest  easily  against  it. 

Next,   if  the  foot  is   broken,  or   much  weakened  by  old 

nail-holes,  punch   the   holes  where  there  is  soundest  horn 

to  nail  to,  as  shown  by  Fig.  596.     A  thin   shoe  will  not 

W  \       admit  of  any  fullering,  because  it  weakens  the  shoe,  with- 

ujl)'        out  giving  any  special  advantage  in  nailing.     The  stamp 

/;  ;        form  of  punching  the  holes  should  be  used  ;  that  is,  the 


•  :•. 


1 1 


'  ;  /        hole  made  larger  at  the  surface  and  smaller  at  the  bot- 


'  I  • 
'••  • 


-G 


*FiG.  465. 
Too  Close.  *  Fig.  466. — Action  with  Low  Heels  and  Oblique  Fetloci<.    , 

tom,  so  that  the  nail-heads  will  fit  into  it  exactly. 

The  method   of  driving  the  nails  is  next  worthy  of  considera- 


CH  i 


tion.       There    are    two    methods  ;    one,   starting  the  nail 
rather  near  the  outer  surface  and  driving  high,  called  the 

English  method,  which  is  practiced  very  generally  in  this  '  '.  <  i 
country  ;  the  other,  starting  the  nail   deep  and  bringing 

out  low,  known  as  the  French  method,  which  leading  au-  i    /•  ) 

thorities  concede  to  be  the  best.     If  the  nail  is  driven  very  i  '  •'  I 

near  the  surface,  it  is  liable  to  chip  or  break  the  horn  out,  /?V    , 

which  injures  and  weakens  the  wall  very  much  ;  whereas  ^  \\   \ 

driving  deep  and  bringing  out  low,  insures  a  good  hold,  •   »*  I 

and  the  wall  will  be  almost  grown  out  by  the  next  shoe-  i    Hv) 

ing.      Consequently    they  should  be  punched  deep    over  i  ' ,'  i 

those  points  where  the  wall  is  thickest,  and  less  so  toward  ^-o/    | 

the  quarters  where  it  is  thinnest,  or  proportionately  far-  v^  ,     1 

ther  from  the  outer  margin  of  the  shoe.  ' 

The  common  method  of  fullering  all  shoes  alike,  and  *Fig.  467. 

bringing  the  nails   at  the  same  distance   from  the   edge.  Action  that 

can    be   no  more  adapted  for  all   kinds  of  feet  than  can  Slriites. 

the  size  of  the  shoe  itself     This   straight-jacket   way  of  punching 

*  In  connection  with  figures  465,  466,  467,  and  470,  see  page  337. 


SlIOHnYG. 


33 


all  alike,  brings  the  nail-holes  at  the  same  location  at  each  repeti- 
tion of  shoeing,  so  that  if  the  shoe  becomes  loose,  or  is  pulled  off, 
this  part  of  the  wall  is  liable  to  be  torn  off,  or  so  split  and  broken 


Fig.  468.  Fig.  469. 

Thin-heeled  Shoe  Advised  by  Prof.  Williams  of  Edinborough  Veterinary  College. 

as  to  leave  only  a  soft,  imperfect  horn.  In  resetting  such  a  shoe, 
it  becomes  necessary  to  put  it  farther  back  under  the  foot  in  order 
to  gain  secure  nail-hold.  Not  only  this,  but  the  portion  of  the  pro- 
jecting wall  being  cut  down    to  the  shoe,  leaves  it  deformed  and 

injured  to  an  extent  that 

several    months'    growth 

cannot  repair.    But  if  the 

holes    be   punched    over 

parts  that  would  give  as 

secure  hold,  the  shoe  can 

be    nailed  on  sufficiently 

firm   to   hold    it   without 

doing  harm,  and  thereby 

preserve    the    symmetry 

of  the  foot       In    such   a 

case  it  may  be  necessary 

to  nail  rather  close  to  the 

heels  ;  but  even  this  had 

better  be  done  for  a  short 

time  than  risk  injury  and 

malformation  by  the  method  named. 
If  by  carelessness  or  otherwise  a  nail  should  be  driven  into  the 
quick,  which  will  usually  be  known  by  the  horse's  flinching,  it  should 
be  pulled  out  at  once ;  or  should  a  horse  show  soreness  after  being 


1  , 
1     • 

1  1 
1   / 

1     1 

<    • 

1          1 

0 

1    * 

\       1 

\    1 

1  '. 
1     1 

t  ' 
1     > 

I; 

X      1 

'   1 

1     , 

1   , 

^ 

.    1 

1 

1 

1      t 

1  1 
t      1 

*FlG 

470. 

Faulty 

Action 

Too  Wide. 

Fig.  471. — Fool  Prepared  for  Shoe. 


34 


SHOEING. 


Fig.  473. — Fool  at  Point  of  Heel  on  Thick  Shoes. 


Fig.  473.— Shoe  Fitted  as  it  Should  Be. 


taken  out  of  the  shop,  the  foot  should  be  examined  carefully  by  tap- 
ping over  the  part,  and  the  nail  at  the  point  of  soreness  pulled  out. 
(For  more  details,  see  treatment  for  Pricking  and  Rucking.) 

Clinching  Down  the  Nails. 

When  the  nail  is  twisted  off,  the  end  should  be  filed  down  to 
the  proper  length,  and,  with 
the  corner  of  the  rasp  or  lit- 
tle punch,  cut  out  the  pith 
or  raised  part  under  the 
clinch,  and  turn  down  light- 
ly but  firmly.  The  common 
custom  is  to  make  a  deep 
notch  with  the  corner  of 
the  rasp,  which  extends 
across  the  face  of  the  hoof 
from  one  nail  to  the  other. 

This  is  so  injurious  that 
it  should  not  be  permitted 
even  to  the  smallest  degree. 
No  rasping  of  the  outer  sur- 
face of  the  wall  should  be 
allowed,  excepting  to  touch 
or  smooth  any  roughness 
of  the  clinches,  and  to 
round  of  the  edge  of  the 
wall  dawn  near  the  shoe. 
It  has  been  explained  under 
the  proper  head,  that  the 
inner  surface  of  the  wall 
soft  and  spongy,  and  that 
as  it  approaches  the  outer 
surface,  it  becomes  hard  and  ^ 

bony,  and  the  fibers  closer  and  denser,  and  that  over  the  surface  is  a 
sort  of  skin  or  thin  covering  of  enamel,  that  prevents  too  rapid  evap- 
oration of  moisture  ;  and  it  is  necessary  to  retain  intact  this  strong 
fibrous  horn,  as  well  as  its  outer  covering,  so  as  to  hold  the  nails 
firmly,  as  well  as  to  prevent  the  excessive  evaporation  of  moisture 
which  would  follow. 

Should  the  shoe  be  too  short,  which  is  liable  to  happen,  to 
remedy  the  difficulty  it  is  the  common  custom  to  set  it  back  under 
the   wall,  and   rasp  the  thick,  strong  wall,  extending  out  over  the 


Fig.  474. — Adjustment  between  Heel  and  Turn  of  Foot. 


Fig.  475.— Adjustment  at  Turn  of  Foot. 


SHOEING. 


35 


shoe,  clown  to  it.     Or,  should  the  shoe  be  too  straight  or  narrow  for 
the  foot  across  the  points  of  nailing,  to  drive  the  nails  so  deeply  as 

not  only  to  endanger 
pricking,  but  greatly  to 
weaken  the  wall. 

The  excessive  rasp- 
ing not  only  destroys 
the  strongest  part  of 
the  wall,  that  best  able 
to  retain  the  nail-holes 
and  support  concus- 
sion, but  causes  a  se- 
rious internal  disease 
not  usually  understood, 
which  shows  its  effect 
in  an  absorption  of  the 
Fig.  523  is  a  good  illustration  of  this.  The  speci- 
men from  which  it  is  drawn  was  obtained  from  Dr.  Hamill.  The 
small  sketch  is  full  size,  and  shows  the  exact  appearance  of  its  sur- 
face, and  small  points  of  horn  which   are  over  a  quarter  of  an  inch 

long,  extending  out  like  pegs. 

Shoeing  the  Hind  Feet. 
There    is    usually     so     little 


Fig.  476.— Tips. 
the  French. 

bone  beneath. 


From 


Fig.  477.— Thin  Strip  Set  in 
Hoof.     From  Lafosse. 


Fig.  478.— Tips  Applied  to  the  Coil's  Foot. 


Fig.  479. — Thin  Shoe.     From  Lafosse^ 


trouble  with  the  hind  feet,  that  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  give  any 
directions  as  to  their  management.  The  horn  is  thickest  at  the 
quarters,   and  the  principal  nailing  should  be  done  there.     Some- 


36 


SIIOEIiVG. 


times  there  is  a  curling  under  or 
contracting  of  the  heels,  which 
may  be  the  cause  of  more  or  less 
inflammation,  extending  to  the 
sheaths  of  tendons  and  other  parts 
of  the  leg ;  in  such  a  case,  if 
thought  advisable,  either  or  both 
quarters  can  be  treated  as  ex- 
plained under  that  head  in  "Con- 
traction." 

Pricking  and  Rucking. 

I  think  it  advisable,  in  this  con- 
nection, to  say  a  few  words  about 
pricking,  which  is  more  common 
than  many  suppose.  It  is  not  un- 
usual, indeed   it  is  a  very  common 

occurrence,  to  drive  the  nail  too  near  the  quick  or  into  it,  and  thus 
by  a  little  carelessness  cause  great  harm.  First,  if  the  nail  be  driven 
so  as  to  go  to  the  quick,  in  which  case  the  horse  may  show  it  by 
flinching,  it  should  in  all  cases  be  pulled  out  at  once,  and  the  hole 


Fig  480  — Shoe  Adjusted.  From  the  Germaa 


Fig,  481.— Model  Shoes. 


Fig  482. — Showing  Location  of  Nails. 


be  left  vacant.  If  this  is  done,  no  harm  will  follow.  Sometimes 
the  smith,  especially  if  he  expects  to  be  scolded,  will  drive  the 
nail  down,  which  in  a  few  hours  or  next  day  will  show  itself  by 


SHOEING. 


37 


making  the  horse  lame  ;  or  the  nail  may  be  driven  so  deeply  as  to 
go  near  the  soft  parts  of  the  inner  edge,  and  when  the  point  strikes 

the  hard  horn 
of  the  outer 
surface,  it  may 
bend  inward  or 
press  upon  and 
break  through 
to  the  sensitive 
parts.  This  is 
called  rucking, 
as  shown  in  Fig. 
508.  The  nail 
shouldbepulled 
out  at  once. 

Another  cause  of  harm  is  what  is  termed  fitting  and  drawing  the 
nails  too  closely.  If  the  nails  are  driven  rather  deep,  and  clinched 
down  firmly,  they  are  liable  to  bend  inward  and  press  upon  the 
sensitive  parts.  This  is  called  pinching.  If  present  when  the  horse 
is  shod,  and  it  is  noticed  that  the  nails  are  driven  rather  deep  for  the 
thickness  of  the  wall,  insist  upon  their  being  driven  farther  out. 

An  ignorant  or  thoughtless  man  may  claim  there  is  no  danger, 

though  he  is  driving  the  nails 
much  too  deep.  Should  the 
horse  show  soreness  or  lameness 
within  three  or  four  days  after 
being  shod,  especially  if  he  puts 


Fig.  483.  —Examining  the  Shoe. 


Fig  484. — Location  of  Nails. 


Fig.  485. — French  Method  of  Nailing 


the  foot  forward  to  ease  it,  give  the  matter  attention  at  once.  First 
rest  the  hand  lightly  upon  the  hoof  to  discover  whether  there  is  any 
unusual  heat,  and  if  so,  at  what  point ;  next  take  a  light  hammer 
or  small  stone,  and  tap  lightly  round  over  the  nails,  until  the  horse 


38 


SHOEING. 


Fig.  486. — The  Hoof  of  a  Fore  Fool  Showing  the  Bad 
Effects  of  Excessive  Rasping. 


flinches,  when  the  of- 
fending nail  or  nails 
can  be  discovered  and 
pulled  out.  If  this  is 
done  soon  after  being 
shod  or  during  the 
same  day,  all  that  may 
be  necessary  to  do  is  to 
leave  the  nail  out. 

I  have  had  excellent 
success  by  pouring  a 
little  callendula  into 
the  hole.  In  one  case, 
where  there  was  con- 
siderable soreness  a 
few  hours  after  being 
shod,  though  the  horse 
was  quite  lame  on  ac- 
count of  the  nail  being 
driven  too  deep,  after 
pulling  out  then  ail,  a 
little  callendula  was  poured  in,  and  the  shoe  again  put  on,  and  the 
horse  in  a  few  hours  was  free  from  lameness.  But  if  he  shows  lame- 
ness in  a  day  or  so  after  being  shod,  cut  away  the  wall  from  around 

the  hole,  so  as  to 
let  out  any  mat- 
ter which  may 
have  fo  r  m  e  d. 
Next  poultice  the 
foot  until  the  in- 
flammation sub- 
sides, then  cover 
the  hole  with  a 
little  digestive 
ointment  (which 
is  made  by  melt- 
ing together  equal 
parts  of  tar  and 
hog's  lard,  and 
stirring  till  cool),  over  which  put  a  little  tow  and  put  on  the  shoe. 

Contraction.    Its  Cure. 

For  hundreds  of  years  there  has  been  great  effort  made  to  pre- 


FiG.  487. — Shoe  Properly  Adjusted  and  Nailed. 


SHOEING. 


39 


Fig.  488.— Good  Model  of  Concave  Shoe. 


vent  and  cure  con- 
traction. I  give 
a  variety  of  figures 
showing  some 
forms  of  shoes  and 
methods  of  ex- 
panding the  quar- 
ters. 

Contraction 
may  be  divided 
into  three  class- 
es :  1.  A  general 
compression,  or 
drawing  in  of  the 
wall  upon  the 
vascular  struct- 
ure ;  2.  When  but 
one  or  both  quarters  are  drawn  in  ;  3.  When  the  heels  are  curled 
in,  or  pushed  forward  under  the  foot.  The  prevention  and  cure  of 
contraction  must  depend  upon  re- 
moving excess  of  horn,  frog-press- 
ure, freedom  of  the  quarters,  or,  if 
necessary,  opening  them  mechan- 
ically as  desired,  and  upon  moist- 
ure. Any  of  these  conditions 
lacking,  there  must  in  serious 
cases  be  partial  or  entire  failure, 
no  matter  what  the  means  or 
methods  used.  If  the  feet  could 
have  conditions  that  would  afford  natural  moisture,  and  the  shoes  be 

made  so  thin  that  the  frog 
and  sole  could  have  reason- 
able contact  with  the  ground, 
the  quarters  so  free  that 
they  could  expand  with  the 
growth  of  the  feet,  there 
could  be  but  little  if  any 
contraction. 

Frog-Pressure. 


Fig.  489.— Ordinary  Calks. 


Fig.  490.  -  Adjustable  Calk. 


We  see  that  in  all  cases 
where   there    is    reasonable 


40 


SHOEING. 


frog-pressure,  the  frog  becomes  larger,  firm- 
er, and  more  elastic  ;  while  raising  the  frog 
from  contact  causes  it  to  become  small  and 
hard,  the  quarters  to  draw  in,  and  the  whole 
foot  to  diminish  more  or  less  in  size.  But  if 
not  accustomed  to  pressure,  it  should  be 
given  gradually,  in  connection  with  keeping 
the  feet  thoroughly  softened,  so  as  not  to 
excite  inflammation  or  soreness.  It  would 
not  do  for  a  man  accustomed  to  wearing 
boots  for  years  to  suddenly  go  barefoot  on 
rough,  hard  ground.  The  skin  on  the  feet 
is  so  thin  that  they  would  be  made  sore, 
and  would  be  liable  to  serious  inflamma- 
tion. In  like  manner  it  would  not  be  pru- 
dent to  bring  the  heels  and  frog  of  a  horse's 
foot  that  has  long  been  protected  by  shoes,  suddenly  to  the  ground. 
If  there  is  but  little  contraction,  with  fairly  good  condition  of  the 
feet,  all  that  will  be  necessary  to  do  is  to  level  down  the  feet,  and 


Fig.  491.— Adjustable  Calks. 


Fig.  492. — Model  of  Shoe  for  Express  Horses. 
From  Dr.  HamiU's  Collection. 


Fig.  493. — The  Goodenough  Shoe. 


remove  any  surplus  of  old  horn  from  the  sole,  put  on  thin-heeled 
shoes,  and  keep  the  feet  soft  by  moisture. 

The  next  simplest  and  best  method  would  be  to  use  the  convex 
shoe.     See  Figs.  552  -554.         After  leveling  and  trimming  out  the 
foot  properly,  as  betore  explained,  cut  away  or  weaken  the  arch  bc- 
23  a 


SUOETNG. 


41 


tween  the  bars  and 
frog  sufficiently  to 
allow  of  some  elas- 
ticity of  the  quar- 
ters, then  fit  the 
heels  nicely  to  the 
bearing  surface  of 
the  shoe.  In  doing 
this,  care  should  be 
taken  to  leave  therri 
sufficiently  deep  to 
enable  matching 
the  bevel  of  the 
shoe  nicely  without 
cutting  away  or 
lowering  the  wall 
too  much.  No  horn 
should  be  left  pro- 
jecting inside,  as  it 
would  form  a  wall 
against  the  inner 
edge  of  the  shoe, 
and  prevent  the  heels  from  spreading.  Of  course,  no  nails  should 
be  driven  back  in  the  quarters.  As  before  explained,  the  frog 
should  gradually  be  given  contact  with  the  ground.  As  the  quar- 
ters are  opened,  the  shoe  can  be  taken  off,  made  larger,  and  reset, 
until  the  foot  is  reasonably  expanded,  when  a  level  bearing-surface 
may  again  be  used. 

But  for  anything  like  a  bad  condition 
of  contraction,  more  direct  and  positive 
treatment  will  be  necessary.  For  ex- 
ample, if  the  foot  is  badly  contracted, 
the  frog  small,  and  sole  forced  upward 
acutely,  the  whole  internal  structure, 
in  fact,  locked  and  tied,  as  it  were,  by 
the  severe  compression  of  the  wall, 
three  conditions  are  necessary :  First, 
complete  elasticity  of  quarters  and  sole  ; 
second,  power  to  open  quarter  so  as  to 
relieve  pressure,  and  allow  the  sole  to 
settle  back  to  its  natural  position  ;  third, 
gradual  frog-pressure  so  as  to  restore  a 


Fig.  494. — A  Dried  Hoof  with  Frog  Removed. 


Fig.  495.— The  Frog. 


42 


SHOEIXG. 


Fi(i.  496.— Mobility  entirely 
Destroyed  in  Rigtit  Foot. 


healthy  condition  of  circulation  and 
strength  of  parts.  The  first  important 
step  in  the  treatment  is  to  thoroughly 
soften  the  feet.  The  simplest  way  of  do- 
ing this  in  the  stables  is  by  tying  two  or 
three  thicknesses  of  blanket  around  the 
feet  and  keeping  them  wet  about  twenty- 
four  hours  ;  or  better,  fill  two  small 
bags  with  bran,  put  a  foot  into  each,  and 
tie  a  string  loosely  around  the  top  of  the 
bag  and  leg  above  the  fetlock.  Put 
each  foot  into  a  bucket  of  water,  and 
afterward  pour  on  water  to  keep  wet  ; 
or  the  horse  can  be  made  to  stand  in 
mud  till  the  feet  are  soft. 

There  is  usually  a  large  accumulation 
of  horn,  especially  at  the  heel,  all  of 
which  must  be  removed,  and  the  wall 
leveled  down  to  its  proper  dimensions. 
Next,  with  the  drawing-knife  pare  out 
the  sole  ;  not  enough  to  make  it  bend  to  pressure,  but  more  than 
beyond  the  removal  of  the  old  horn.  Then  with  a  small  knife, 
which  should  be  made  expressly  for  the  purpose, — let  the  blade  be 
made  straight,  with  a  cutting  edge  on  both  sides,  and  the  end  turned 

about  a  quarter  of  an 
i  n  c  h,  tempered  and 
ground  down  to  a  keen 
edge,  so  as  not  to  cut 
a  channel  much  more 
than  one  eighth  to 
three  sixteenths  of  an 
inch  wide,  —  weaken 
the  wall  between  the 
bars  and  frog,  by  scrap- 
ing or  cutting  out  the 
bottom  of  the  channel 
back  to  the  point  of  the 
heel  so  much  that  when  pressure  is  brought  upon  the  heels  outward, 
there  will  be  no  impediment  to  their  opening  freely  at  their  upper 
edge.  To  do  this,  commence  well  forward  near  the  point  of  the 
frog,  and  cut  back,  following  the  line  of  the  arch  carefully.     Particu- 


FiG.  497. — Siiowing  Great  Excess  of  Horn. 


SIIOETXG. 


43 


Fig.  498. — Shoe  loo  Wide  and  Long, 
too  Concave. 


Bearing-suiface 


lar  care  should  be  taken  not  to  cut  so  much  at  any  part  as  to  cause 

bleeding.  On  this 
account  the  op- 
erator should  feel 
his  way  cautious- 
ly, cutting  deeper 
as  he  goes  back. 
The  bar  should 
be  cut  away  to 
within  three  quar- 
ters of  an  inch 
from  the  point  of 
the  heel.  No  more 
should  be  cut 
away  from  the 
rest  of  the  bar,  or 
part  coming  un- 
der the  clip,  than 

may  be  necessary  to  give  a  straight  shoulder  for  it  to  rest  against. 

Both  sides  must  be  treated  alike.     If  the  part  has  been  cut  through 

in  the  least,  it  should  be  protected  after  the  shoe  is  on  by  melting 

a  little  resin  and  tallow 

into    it,    and    covering 

with  tow. 

There     have     been 

many      ignorant      and 

pretentious     quacks, 

who  have  presumed  to 

weaken     the    heel    by 

sawing  in  between  the 

bars  and  frog.     Only  a 

very  small  point  can  be 

reached     in    this    way, 

without  cutting  to  the  quick.     The  saw  cannot  be  used  here  at  all 

with  advantage.     The  point  is  to  weaken  the  horn  at  the  bottom 

of  the  cleft  so  that  it  will  spread  freely,  and  this  can  be  done  prop- 
erly   only    with  the  cutting-knife.     The    proper    flexibility    of   the 

heels  can  be  judged  by  a  slight  pressure  with  the  hand. 

This  done,  our  next  object  is  to  remove  the  compression  of  the 

wall.     To  do  this,  fit  to  it  a  rather  thin,  flat  shoe,  made  of  good  iron. 

At  the  neels  it  should  be  made  a  little  wider  and   longer  than  the 


Fig.  499.  —Concave  Bearing-surface  of  Shoe  498  at  Heel. 


B 


Fig.  500.— Concave  Bearing-surface  of  Shoe  498  bs- 
tween  Heel  and  Turn  cf  Foot. 


Fig.  501. — Concave  Bearing-surface  of  Same  at  Turn  of  Foot. 


44 


SHOnma. 


foot,  and  the  nail-holes  punched,  as  in  Fig.  565.  Lay  on  the  shoe  as 
intended  to  be  nailed,  and  with  a  pencil  make  a  mark  over  the  inside 
of  the  bar  at  the  point  of  the  heel  on  both  sides.  This  done,  accu- 
rately punch  or 
drill  two  holes 
through  the  iron, 
about  three  six- 
teenths of  an 
inch  in  diameter. 
If  it  can  be  done, 
it  would  be  bet- 
ter to  have  the 
holes  beveled  on 
the  inside  of  the 
bar.  extending 
up  and  back  at 
the  point  of  the 
heel.  Next,  take 
two  little  pieces 
of  good  iron  or  steel,  about  three  fourths  to  seven  eighths  of  an 
inch  long,  by  about  three  sixteenths  thick,  and  about  five  eighths 
of  an  inch  wide.     Cut  down  the  end  until  it  will  fit  the  hole  in  the 


Fig.  503. — View  of  Hoof  with  Marked  Depression  across  the 
Front,  and  a  Corresponding  Bulging  downwards  of  the  Sole. 


Fig.  503.— Model  Thin-heeled  Shoe. 


Fig.  504.— Light  Hind  Shoe. 


shoe,   and    rivet   it,    as  shown  in  Fig.  557.      These   are  now  to  be 
warmed   and  bent,  and,  if  necessary,  filed  so  as  to  lie  flat  against 


SHOEING. 


45 


both  heels,  and  just  long  enough  to  come  a  little  short  of  touch- 
ing the  soft  horn  above  it.  Next  weaken  the  shoe  a  little  on  both 
sides,  which  may  be  extended  over  a  much  larger  space  than  shown 
in  Fig.    558  ;  or  if  the  shoe  is   not  very  heavy,   it  may  be  spread 

without    weak- 


enmg. 
late    so 


Regu- 


FiG.  505.— Sole  and  Wall  Cut 
away  too  much. 


Fig.  506.— Wall  not  Cut  away 
Quite  Enough. 


as  to 
come  a  little 
forward  of  the 
point  where  the 
hoof  begins  to 
draw  in.  If  the 
shoe  is  thin, 
the  inner  edge 
shoul  d  be 
turn  up  and 
formed  into  a 
clip,  which, 
with  a  little  care,  can  be  filed  and  fitted. 
But  if  the  shoe  is  at  all  thick,  it  would  be 
somewhat  difficult  to  do  this  ;  for  if  the  clip  is  turned  up  so  that  the 
shoe  is  too  large  or  too  small,  a  very  tedious,  annoying  bungle 
would  be  the  result.  In  addition,  it  would  be  difficult  to  make  the 
clips  sufficiently  long  to  enable  bringing  pressure  as  high  up  against 
the  wall  as  it  will  admit,  which  is  a  very  important  point  toward 
opening  the  upper  part  of  the  hoof. 

The  method  before  given,  which  neces- 
sity compelled  me  to  devise  and  adopt, 
makes  this  simple  and  easy  to  do  ;  and 
except  the  shoe  is  so  thin  as  not  to  admit 
of  punching  or  drilling,  it  will  be  found 
by  far  the  simplest  and  best  method  of 
forming  the  clips.  When  properly  adjust- 
ed, nail  on  carefully.  The  nails  around 
the  toe  may  be  larger  than  those  driven 
in  the  quarters  ;  and  while  driven  so  as 
to  give  a  good  hold,  and  rather  high,  if  the 
feet  are  at  all  sore  and  tender,  great  care  should  be  taken  that  the 
hammering  is  not  too  heavy,  nor  the  nails  driven  deep.  The 
clinches  should  simply  be  turned  down  lightly.  If  the  hoof  ex- 
tends out  over  the  shoe  at  any  point,  it  should  be  no  reason  for 
more  rasping  than  merely  to  round  off  the  edges  of  the  horn.     Let 


Fig.  507.— Heel  as  it  Usually 
Rests  on  the  Shoe. 


46 


SHOEING. 


it  alone.  It  is  frequently  the  case  that  one  quarter  is  more  con- 
tracted than  the  other  ;  in  fact,  it  is  not  unusual  to  have  one  side 
of  the  heel  very  much  drawn  in,  while  the  other  may  be  very  lit- 
tle, if  any,  contracted  ;  so  that  two  conditions  must  be  met ;  namely, 


Fig.  508.— Bad  Nailing. 


Fig.  509.— Nail  Rucked. 


Fig.  510. — Good  Nailing. 


first,  to  open  either  heel  as  little  or  as  much  as  may  be  desired, 
independent  of  the  other.  This  the  spreaders  (which  have  been 
devised  and  patented  by  the  writer)  will  enable  doing  in  the  most 
perfect  manner.  Simple  as  these  spreaders  are,  the  writer  has 
found  it  very  difficult  to  have  them  made  properly.  On  this  ac- 
count he  has  found  it  necessary  to  have  them  made  according  to  an 

exact  pattern, 
and  they  will  be 
furnished  at  a 
moderate  price 
to  those  desiring 
them. 

However  nec- 
essary it  may 
be  to  have  this 
part  of  the  work 
well  done,  it  is,  in 
reality,  but  a 
preparatory  step 
for  what  follows. 
First,  if  tongs  or  a  screw  be  used  to  spread  the  shoe,  the  pressure 
being  made  equal  on  both  sides,  the  side  which  is  weakest  must  do 


Fig.  511. — Transverse  Section  of  the  Hoof  of  tlie  Fore  Fool  of  a 
Work  Horse  in  which  the  Sole  had  Become  Convex. 


SHOEING. 


47 


all  the  bending — opening  that  quarter  too  much  without  affecting 
the  other  at  all.  Another  cause  of  difficulty  is  not  having  the 
tongs  convenient  with  which  to  spread  the  shoe,  and  it  is  put  off 
too  long  ;  and  when  finally  attempted,  done  so  roughly,  or  opened 

so  much  as  to 
cause  violent  in- 
flammation and 
lameness.  With  the 
spreaders,  this  dif- 
ficulty is  entirely 
overcome. 

Opening  the 
Heels. 

The  method  of 
doing  this  should 
be  about  as  fol- 
lows :  First,  meas- 
ure between  the 
heels  of  the  shoe 
carefully,  by  "cut- 
ting a  bit  of  straw 
©r  stick  the  exact  length  between  them,  and  then  estimate  how 
much  each  heel  will  bear  opening  without  causing  soreness.  Un- 
less the  foot  is  very  soft  and  elastic,  it  is  hardly  prudent  the  first 
time  to  open  them  more  than  a  quarter  or  three  eighths 
of  an  inch.  It  is  well  to  first  open  the  quarter  most 
contracted,  which,  until  brought  out  to 
balance  with  the  other,  should  be 
opened  the  most.  Then  measure  again 
and  spread  the  opposite  side.  If 
opened  too  much,  or  enough  to  cause 
soreness,  a  few  light  taps  of  the  ham- 
mer against  the  outside  will  set  it  back. 
The  feet  should  be  kept  soft  by  stop- 
ping with  flaxseed-meal,  and  tying  two 
or  three  thicknesses  of  blanket  around, 
and  wetting  occasionally.  In  the  course 
of  an  hour  or  two  examine  the  condi- 
tion of  the  feet  carefully.  If  the  horse  puts  out  one  foot,  or  indi- 
cates the  least  soreness,  the  quarters  have  been  opened  too  much, 


•    Fig.  512.  Fig,  513.  Fig.  514. 

Shoe  Should  Conform  to  Foot.     The  Shoe  Being  too  Small  and 
Badly  Abjusted,  the  Foot  is  Compressed 
and  Necessarily  Injured. 


Figs.  515,  516. — Very  Common  Re 

suit  of  Wearing  Small,  Bad 

Fitting  Shoes. 


48 


SHOEIXG. 


and  they  must  be  at  once  knocked  back  sufficiently  to  relieve  the 
undue  pressure,  and  be  kept  wet.  It  is  rarely,  however,  that  the 
spreading  of  a  quarter,  or  even  three  eighths,  of  an  inch,  will  at 
first  cause  any  soreness.  On  the  contrary,  it  always  gives  relief. 
Still  I  think  it  necessary  to  use  care.  The  horse  can  be  driven  or 
worked  moderately,  if  desired.  In  two  or  three  days  the  spread- 
ing can  be  repeated,  but  now  not  so  much  as  before^  and  again  in 
three  or  four  days  following,  and  so  on  at  longer  intervals. 

If  the  foot  has  been   properly  prepared,  two  points  will  be  ac- 
complished by  this  spreading,  namely,  the  severe  compression  upon 


Fig.  517.— Nalura!  Position.     Fig.  518.— Effect  of  Contraction 
Good  Shoeing.  and  Soreness. 


Fig.    519. — Extreme  Case 
of  Contraction  and  Soreness. 


the  vascular  structure  and  coronary  ring  will  be  immediately  re- 
lieved, and  the  sole,  which  in  all  cases  of  this  character  has  been 
forced  up,  as  shown,  to  an  acute  angle,  will  straighten  and  let  down. 
To  aid  this,  the  sole  must,  by  paring,  be  made  so  flexible  that,  as 
the  foot  is  opened,  it  will  settle  down  and  come  back  to  its  natural 
condition.  The  soreness  resulting  from  the  compression  of  the 
parts  will  be  removed,  and  a  better  condition  of  circulation  and  nu- 
trition result.  By  this  course  the  mobility  will  not  only  be  re- 
stored, the  horse  travel  with  more  freedom  and  confidence,  but  as 
the  hoof  grows  down  it  will  become  thicker  and  of  a  better  fiber. 

As  before  explained,  to  bring  about  a  healthy  condition  of  cir- 
culation and  nutrition,  the  frog  must  necessarily  be  given  contact 
with  the  ground  to  the  degree  it  will  bear,  which  should  be  provided 


SHOEING. 


49 


for  by  the  thinness  of  the  shoe.  In  some  simple  cases,  nailing  the 
shoe  to  the  heel,  as  shown  in  Fig.  558,  may  be  sufficient  to  hold  the 
quarters  firmly  enough  to  enable  spreading  them  as  desired  The 
objection  is  that  the  wall  is  so  thin  at  the  point  of  the  heels,  that  it 
may  be  difficult  to  get  a  good  nail-hold  without  pricking  or  break- 
ing out  ;  besides,  the  nailing  cannot  be  repeated.  The  nails  should 
be  small  and  driven  very  carefully,  getting  as  much  hold  as  the  horn 
will  admit  of.  The  supposed  objection  to  this  plan  of  opening  the 
quarters  is,  that  it  prevents  their  natural  elasticity  by  their  undue 
confinement.     But  this  is  not  a  valid  objection  ;  because  in  the  di- 


FiGS.  520,  521. — How  a  Horse  Stands  when  Sore-footed  or  Lame. 

rection  it  is  desired  to  give  them  freedom  outward,  it  only  facilitates 
it,  while  at  the  same  time  it  gives  a  certainty  and  positiveness  of  re- 
lief that  cannot  well  be  secured  in  any  other  way. 

In  fact,  herein  lies  most  of  the  success  in  the  management  of  all 
conditions  of  contraction.  In  my  experience  I  never  have  found  a 
smith  who  could  catch  the  points  of  properly  preparing  the  foot  and 
fitting  the  shoes  for  such  cases.  In  every  instance  I  have  been 
compelled  .to  stand  over  the  shoer  and  dictate  every  movement  or 
do  part  of  the  work  myself  First,  the  want  of  judgment  in  prepar- 
ing the  foot  ;  second,  in  adapting  the  weight  of  the  shoe  to  the  foot, 
and  fitting  the  clips  so  as  to  enable  opening  the  quarters  easily  and 
.surely  as  desired. 

Mr.  Roberge's  Method. 


Since  writing  the  foregoing  my  attention  has  been  called  to  a 


50 


SHOETXG. 


Fui.  522— Anterior  Section  of  a  Hind  Hoo}  Made 

Vertically  across  the  Center,  Showing  the 

Thickness  of  Wall. 


very  simple  and  practical  method  of  opening  the  quarters  for  the 
cure  of  contraction,  which  is  used  with  marked  success,  and  illus- 
trated in  Fig.  566,  devised  by  Mr.  David  Roberge,  a  practical  horse- 
shoer  of  great  ingenuity 
and  skill,  located  at  No. 
106  West  Thirtieth 
Street,  New  York  City. 
Various  methods  of  open- 
ing the  heels  on  this  plan 
are  given,  which  are  from 
French  and  other  author- 
ities, to  show  the  great  ef- 
fort that  has  been  made 
by  mechanical  means  to 
overcome  this  difficulty. 
But  Mr.  Roberge,  by  giv- 
ing more  length  to  the 
spring,  and  simplifying  its 
construction,  makes  it  all 
that  can  be  desired.  The 
spring  is  made  of  steel,  the  exact  proportion  and  adjustment  of 
which  is  shown  in  Fig.  567.  The  wall  is  first  weakened  by  sawing 
down  slightly  between  the  heel  and  frog,  when  the  spring  is  placed 

in  position  with  so  much  force 
given  to  it  as  may  be  thought 
necessary  to  press  the  heels  out- 
ward as  desired.  The  shoe  is 
then  nailed  on  over  it,  as  ordi- 
narily done.  The  pressure  is 
gradual  and  constant,  and  must 
prove  just  the_^thing  where  both 
quarters  will  admit  of  equal 
pressure.  But  should  one  quar- 
ter be  much  more  contracted  or 
unyielding  than  the  other,  it 
does  not  seem  to  the  writer  that 
it  would  work  so  well,  because 
the  full  pressure  would  then  be 
thrown  on  the  weaker  quarter. 
But    this,  it   is   claimed,  can  be 


Fig.  523.— The  Effect  of  Internal  Inflammation, 
Caused  by  Excessive  Rasping  and 
Other  Causes  of  Injury 


obviated  by  nailing  the  shoe  well  back  on  the  quarter  of  the  op- 
posite side,  which  would  prevent  that  side  from   being  acted  upon 


SHOEING. 


This  spring,  with  particulars,   can    be  obtained    by  addressing  the 
patentee,  Mr.  Roberge. 

Rolling  Motion  Shoe. 

I  also  give  illustrations  of  a  form  of  shoe  devised  and  largely- 
used  by  him  with  great  success,  which  he  has  patented.     The  object 

to  be  attained  is,  where 
there  is  want  of  mobil- 
ity, or  much  soreness 
and  inflammation,  to  so 
form  and  adjust  the  shoe 
that  the  foot  will  partly 
roll  upon  the  ground, 
thereby  relieving  the 
strain  and  irritation.  To 
use  Mr.  Roberge's  words, 
"  This  shoe,  by  allowing 
the  foot  to  roll  upon  the  ground,  gives  the  foot  the  advantage  of 
an  extra  joint,  and  to  that  degree  relieves  the  strain  or  want  of 
mobility,  which  causes  lameness  or  soreness."  Consequently,  it 
not  only  enables  the  horse  to  travel  easier,  but  aids  in  making  a 
cure.  This  principle  of  treatment  he  has  studied  very  closely,  and 
it  is  remarkably  successful. 

This  principle  of  treatment  has  long  been  in  use.     I  give  an  il- 
lustration from  Lafosse,  showing  a  side  view  of  the  hoof  fitted  for  the 


Fig.  .524. — Transverse  Section  of  a  Model  Hoof 
at  the  Quarters. 


Fig.  525.— Showing  the  Usual  Arch 
of  the  Sole. 


Fig.  526.— Showing  Effect  of 
a  Little  Contraction. 


Fig.  527.— Sole  Bent 
Upwards.     Effect 
of  Contraction. 


shoe  ;  also  a  specimen  of  the  French  shoe.  The  principle  is  to  turn  up 
the  shoe  at  the  heel  and  toe  about  the  thickness  of  the  iron.  Mr. 
Roberge's  shoe  differs  essentially  from  this,  in  that  he  gives  a  curv- 
ature sidewa}'s  as  well  as  with  the  length  of  the  foot.  What  he 
terms  his  "  best  shoe,"  and  which  is  the  most  unusual,  is  Fig.  568, 
which  is  a  thin  plate  hammered  into  a  rounded  or  bowl  shape,  the 


52 


SHOEING. 


exact  proportions  of  which  are  preserved  in  the  drawings  given. 
Fig.  570  is  a  side  view,  which  will  give  a  good  idea  of  the  relative 
proportion  of  the  curve.     By  this  form  of  shoe  the  foot  has  perfect 


Fig.  528.— Hinge  Shoe.     From  the  French.  Fig.  529.— Form  of  Shoe  Devised  in  England 

for  Preventing  Contraction. 

freedom  of  motion  either  way.  If  the  foot  is  feverish  or  dry,  wet 
sponge  or  oakum  is  pushed  in  between  the  shoe  and  bottom  of  the 
foot.  Fig.  572  is  a  view  of  the  same  made  a  little  heavier,  the  same 
form  of  circle  being  preserved,  with  the  difference  of  the  central 
part  being  removed  with  cross-section  of  the  same.  The  shoe  from 
which  this  drawing  was  made  was  claimed  to  be  the  same  that  was 
worn  by  Dexter  when  he  made  his  fastest  time  to  road  wagon. 
Figs.  575,  576,  show  the  method  of  putting  on  calkins.  In  conversa- 
tion with  the  writer,  Mr.  Bonner  stated  that  David  Roberge  was  one 
of  the  very  foremost  living  students  of  the  principles  of  shoeing.  He 
is  an  unassuming,  practical  man,  but  is  wonderfully  successful. 

Quarter-Crack. 

This  is  the  one  difficulty  next  to  con- 
traction which  seems  to  have  baffled  the 
skill  of  the  best  veterinary  authorities 
and  horsemen  to  prevent  or  cure  ;  because 
in  extreme  cases  they  had  no  practical 
treatment  beyond  that  of  a  bar  shoe,  cut- 
ting away  the  horn  so  that  the  part  back 
of  the  split  would  have  no  bearing  upon 
it,  or  supporting  the  weak  parts  by 
drawing  the  edges  together  with  nails, 
or  fastening  on  a  plate  with  screws,  all 
of  which  are  merely  palliative,  and  not 
to  be  depended  upon.  It  would,  of  course, 


Fig.  530.  — Form  of  Shoe  Used 

by  the  French  for  the  Cure 

of  Contraction. 


SHOEING. 


53 


be  easy  to  grow  the  foot  down  by  keeping  the  horse  in  a  stall  or 
small  yard  where  the  ground  is  soft,  but  when  put  to  work  it  -would 
be  liable  to  split  down  again  as  before.  Consequently  it  has  been 
one  of  the  most  vexatious  and  annoying  of  difficulties,  because 
to  do  this  it  was  necessary  to  keep  the  horse  idle  from  three  to  six 

months;      a  n  d 

then,  when  put  to 

work,  if  by  chance 

he     were     driven 

sharply  over  hard 

or    frozen    roads, 

the    quarter    was 

liable     to     burst, 

which  would  again 

make  the  loss  of 

use  necessary.  Or  F^«-  532.-ShoelVladein  Sec- 

.,    ,  tions  and  Riveted  together 

It   became   neces-        .    _        . «    ,     .. 

to  Prevent  Contraction. 

sary   to  resort  to 

the  palliative  measures  referred  to,  and 
thus  in  time  the  value  of  an  otherwise 
good  horse  would  be  destroyed. 

We  see,  in  the  first  place,  that  the  whole  trouble  arises  from  the 
hoof  becoming  contracted  or  too  small  for  the  internal  parts.  This 
will  be  most  noticeable  at  the  inner  quarter  by  the  wall  becoming 
straight  or  drawn  in  sharply  a  little  below  the  hair,  the  part  at  which 
the  split  invariably  occurs.     This   is  proved  by  the    fact    that   the 


Fig.  531. 


Figs.  533,  534,  535. — Different  Forms  of  Shoes  for  Cure  of  Contraction. 

quarter  is  most  liable  to  burst  or  split  when  the  hoof  is  dry  and 
hard,  or  when  concussion  is  increased  by  driving  on  hard  roads. 
This  tendency  to  split  is  also  increased  by  the  inferior  quality  of 
horn  grown  ;  because  the  contraction  of  the  parts,  or  pressing  of  the 
wall  in  against  the  soft  parts,  so  obstructs  the  circulation  that  there 


54 


SHOEING. 


Fig.  536. — Ordinary  English  Shoe. 


is  not  sufficient  blood 

to  grow  sound,  tough, 

healthy     horn.        On 

this  account  the  only 

reliable  and  practical 

cure    is    opening    the 

quarters      sufficiently 

to    remove     pressure 

until  the  new  horn  is 

grown,  which  can  be 

done    to    any    degree 

desired,     as    follows : 

First,  cut  down  be- 
tween the  bar  and  the 

frog     of     the      inner 

quarter,  as  explained 

for  contraction,  until 

it    will    yield    readily 

to  pressure.    Next  cut 

away  the  edges  of  the  wall  to  the  end  of  the  split  ;  then   make  a 

crease  with  the  firing-iron  at  the  edge  of  the  hair.  If  the  spilt  ex- 
tends well  up  into  the  coronary  band,  this  can  be  omitted,  and  in- 
.stead,  the  iron  touched  lengthways  with  the  split.     If,  however,  the 

quarter  is  properly 
opened,  such  inter- 
ference with  the  firing- 
iron  will  be  unneces- 
sary, as  the  horn 
would  usually  grow 
down  sound  without 
it.  Now,  fit  a  shoe  as 
explained  for  contrac- 
tion, putting  a  clip 
only  upon  the  inner 
side  (as  shown  in  Fig. 
585).  The  opposite 
side  is  to  be  nailed 
well  back  to  counter- 
balance it.  When  the 
shoes  are  nailed  on, 
with  the  spreaders 
open  the  quarter    all 


Fig.  537.— Bearing-ourface  of  Ordinary  English  Shoe. 


SHOEING. 


55 


it  will  bear  without  producing  soreness,  or  about  a  quarter  of  an 
inch.  This  done,  fill  the  crack  with  a  little  melted  resin  or  tallow, 
over  which  put  a  little  tow  to  prevent  gravel  or  dirt  from  working 
into  the  quick.  It  is  next  advisable  to  stimulate  the  growth  of 
tough,  healthy  horn.  This  can  be  done  with  hoof  liniment,  which 
should  be  put  on,  as  explained,  two  or  three  times  a  week.  The 
hoof  should  not  be  permitted  to  become  dry  or  hard,  which  can  be 
easily  prevented  by  stopping  with  flaxseed-meal  and  tying  two  or 
three  thicknesses  of  blanket  around  the  foot,  and  keeping  wet  while 
standing  in  the  stable.  The  horse,  if  necessary,  can  be  put  to  work 
as  usual.     In  the  course  of  a  few  days,  spread  a  little  more,  or  as 


Fig.  5.38.  Fig.  539. 

Forms  of  Spring  Used  for  Spreading  the  Quarters. 

much  as  may  be  necessary  to  make  the  hoof  sufficiently  wide  to  re- 
move all  pressure  from  the  weak  part.  When  grown  down,  the 
cause  will  be  removed. 

If  an  ordinary  case,  with  but  little  drawing  in  of  the  quarters, 
simply  lower  the  inside  quarter  a  little  so  as  to  remove  pressure  from 
the  upper  edge  of  the  wall,  and  put  on  a  level  shoe.  Next,  with  a 
firing-iron  burn  a  slight  crease  across  the  upper  edge  of  the  wall, 
keeping  the  foot  soft,  and  stimulating  the  growth  by  applications 
of  hoof  liniment.  This  will  enable  growing  the  wall  down  without 
its  splitting  back.  But  if  the  quarter  is  drawn  in  perceptibly,  then 
in  addition  to  the  creasing,  the  quarter  must  be  given  entire  freedom, 
by  cutting  down  between  the  bar  and  frog.  The  details  of  a  very  in- 
teresting case,  and  explanations  of  how  I  learned  this  method  of  treat- 
ment, and  its  success,  will  be  found  in  connection  with  this  part  of 
treatment  in  my  special  work  on  the  horse. 


50 


SHOEING. 


Fig.  540.— Hinge  Bar  Shoe  for  Cure 
of  Contraction. 


Sand  Crack,  or  Fissure  at  the  Toe. 

Th'''  is  usually  the  result  of  a  diseased  condition  or  ulceration 
of  the  upper  anterior  part  of  the  coffin-bone,  caused  by  injury  to  the 
part.  In  a  large  number  of  dissections  made  by  Mr.  Gamgee,  to 
whom  I  am  indebted  for  treatment  here  given,  he  found  cases  of  the 

pyramidal  process  to  be  common,  and 
a  depression  down  in  front  to  be  also 
frequent.  The  front  of  such  feet  is. 
weak  and  deficient  both  in  hoof  and 
bone.  The  bottom  of  the  foot  must 
have  nothing  removed  from  it  except 
to  level  it  down  at  the  quarters.  The 
front  of  the  hoof  should  be  left  rather 
long  and  deep,  the  shoe  to  come  well 
back  under  the  quarters,  and  clips  to  be 
taken  up,  one  on  each  side  of  the  toe. 
When  the  shoe  is  applied,  the  clips  are 
neither  to  be  let  into  the  wall  nor 
roughly  hammered  up  to  it,  but  to  be 
drawn  just  tight  enough  to  support  and 
hold  the  part  firm.  For  treatment  of  the  fissure,  take  tar  and 
resin  one  ounce  and  tallow  a  quarter  of  an  ounce,  and  melt  together. 
Apply  this  while  warm  to  the  fis- 
sure of  the  hoof  and  coronet,  then 
place  a  layer  of  tow  over  this 
dressing,  and  bind  the  wall  of  the 
foot  with  a  broad  tape,  to  support 
its  position  and  keep  the  part  firm. 
A  cure  in  bad  cases  is  not  to  be 
expected. 

Corns. 

Corns  are  usually  to  be  found  at 
the  inner  heel,  or  at  the  angle  be- 
tween the  bar  and  the  crust,  and 
are  caused  by  the  shoe  pressing 
upon  the  part.  This  will  be  most 
likely  to  occur  should  the  wall 
break  down,  or  be  cut  away  so  much 
as  to  let  the  shoe  rest  upon  the  sole,  or  should  the  shoe  be  nailed 
well  back  on  the  outside  and  toe,  as  then,  if  left  on  too  long,  it  will 
be  drawn  outward  and  forward  so  much  that  the  inner  heel  will  be 
24  a 


Fig.  541. — Spring  Inside  Shoe  Riveted  to 
Toe  Part  for  Expanding  Quarters. 


SHOEING. 


57 


drawn  under  the  quarter,  and 
rest  upon  this  part,  bruising 
it.  When  the  sensitive  sole 
is  thus  bruised,  the  effused 
blood  mixes  with  the  horn\- 
matter  and  makes  a  red  spot, 
and  if  the  irritation  is  contin- 
ued so  as  to  produce  very 
much  inflammation,  ulcera- 
tion may  take  place,  which 
would,  in  some  cases,  be  suf- 
ficient to  affect  the  inner  wing 
of  the  coffin-bone,  and  cause 
matter  to  break  out  at  the 
coronet.        Sometimes    when 


Fig.  542. — Showing  the  Effect  upon  the  Pedal 
Bone  of  Sole  Bulging  Down. 

the  quarter  is  very  much  contracted, 
the  space  between  the  bar  and  quar- 
ter being  greatly  lessened,  it  causes 
such  bruising  or  pressure  upon  the 
soft  parts  as  to  excite  inflammation,  or 
cause  a  corn.  The  usual  remedy  is  to 
cut  away  the  parts  so  that  the  shoe 
will  not  rest  upon  it,  and  put  on  a 
little  caustic,  or  touch  it  with  a  hot 
iron,  which  destroys  sensibility,  and 
changes  the  condition  of  secretion. 
Butter  of  antimony  or  salts  of  niter 
are  favorite  remedies  ;  then  melt  in 
a  little  tar,  resin,  and  tallow,  and  cover 
with  a  little  tow  to  prevent  gravel 
or  dirt  working  into  the  tender  part. 
The  usual  way  in  severe  cases,  is  to 
put  on  a  bar  shoe,  so  as  to  enable 
removing  all  pressure  from  the  sore 
part.  This  mode  of  treatment,  how- 
ever, as  usually  done,  is  only  pallia- 
tive, not  curative.  The  horse  will 
travel  better,  but  if  the  shoe  is  left  on 
a  little  too  long,  or  presses  upon  the 
part  in  the  least,  or  should  gravel  or 


Fig.  543. — Representation  of  tlie 
Last  Six  Bones  of  the  Foot, 
Showing  Great  Change 
of  Structure. 


58 


SUOUING. 


Fig.  544. — Showing  Bearing- 
surface  of  Shoe  Shown 
in  Fig.  544. 


dirt  accumulate  between  the  part  and  the  shoe,   inflammation   and 

lameness    will  follow.     The  only  remedy 

for  this  is  to   remove  the  pressure.     But 

in  time  by  this  treatment  the  difficulty  is 

only  aggravated  and  made  worse.     Hence 

the  usual    assertion    that    "  corns    cannot 

be  cured." 

Gifford,     one     of    my    old     performing 

horses,  had  a  very  bad  bruise   (corn)  on 

one  of  his  inner  heels,  which,  if  not  care- 
fully attended  to,  caused  serious  lameness. 

After  being  troubled  with  it  about  seven 

years,  it  had  grown  to  such  proportions 

as  to  involve  the  entire  angle  at  the  heel, 

so     that    the     horn     was     broken      quite 

through,  and  the  sensitive  structure  partly 

ulcerated.  At  the  close  of  the  season's 
business,  there  was  considerable  inflamma- 
tion and  soreness  in  the  entire  foot.  All 
palliative  measures  having  failed,  it  finally 
occurred  to  me  to  try  the  experiment  of  re- 
moving all  pressure  from  the  part,  and 
turning  the  horse  out  to  grass.  But  there 
was  another  serious  difficulty,  to  which, 
in  part,  some  of  the  soreness  might  be  at- 
tributed. By  the  contraction  or  curling 
under  of  the  outer  heel,  it  had  become  so 
weak  that  it  could  scarcely  be  made  to 
support  his  weight  in  traveling,  so  I  decided 
to  treat  this  at  the  same  time.  The  divis- 
ion between  the  bar  and  frog  of  this  side 
was  well  thinned  out  to  make  the  quarter 
flexible.  Next  a  thin  shoe  of  untempered 
steel,  a  little  more  than  an  eighth  of  an 
inch  thick,  was  made  to  fit  accurately  to 
the  wall  (as  shown  by  Fig.  588),  the  end 
being  turned  up  for  a  clip,  and  fitted 
nicely  to  its  place.  The  part  of  the  op- 
posite heel    of  the   shoe  coming  over  the 

corn,  was  entirely  cut  away,  leaving  simply  sufficient  to  cover  the 

wall,  which  at  this  point  was  very  thin.     The  shoe  was  now  fastened 

on  sufficiently  to  hold  it  firmly  in  place,  but  with  very  small  nails. 


Fig.  545. — Form  of  Concave 

Shoe  Used  by  the  French  for 

Expanding  the  Quarters. 


SHOEING. 


59 


There  was  no  rasping  or  attempt  to  beautify  the  foot  in   any  way. 
Figs.  586  and  589  give  a  very  good  idea  of  the  appearance  of  the 

foot  before  and  after  the  shoe  was 
put  on.  The  quarter  was  now  care- 
fully opened  about  three  eighths   of 


Fig.  546.  Fig.   547. 

Devices  for  Cure  of  Contraction  Used  by  ttie  Frencti. 

an  inch,  without  causing  any  irritation.  Nothing  was  put  over  the 
bruise  or  corn,  nor  was  it  meddled  with  in  any  way.  The  horse 
was  now  turned  out  to  grass  daily.  At  first  he  moved  very 
tenderly,  though  not  lame.  In  a  week  the  heel  was  again  opened 
a  little  more,  and  again  at  intervals  until  opened  out  as  desired.  In 
a  few  weeks  the  tenderness,  fever,  and  in- 
flammation subsided  ;  and  at  the  expiration 
of  three  months  the  corn  was  entirely  cured, 
there  being  a  healthy  growth  of  sole  over 
the   part,  leaving  only  a  slight  appearance 


Fig.  548. — Screw  for  Spreading  Stioe. 


Fig.  549. — The  Shoe  as  Adjusted. 


of  redness,  on  account  of  not  being  entirely  grown  out.  The  con- 
tracted quarter  was  also  out  to  its  natural  position,  the  change  for 
the  better  in  all  respects  being  very  gratifying.  An  ordinary  flat 
shoe  was  now  put  on,  when  he  traveled  as  well  as  ever.     The  ma- 


60 


SHOEING. 


jority  of  such  cases  can  be  easily  cured  while  the  horse  is  kept  at 

his  usual  work,  by  putting  on  an  open  shoe  if  the  foot  will  bear  it, 

if  not,  a  light  bar  shoe,  with  the 

part  coming  under  the  corn  en- 
tirely   cut    away,   leaving    only 

sufficient  to  cover  the  wall.      It 

will  not  matter  whether  the  bar 

is  cut  away  or  not,  as  there  will 

be   nothing    over    it    to   harbor 

gravel  or  dirt.     It  would  be  ad- 
visable to  fit  the  shoe  carefully, 

or  even  drive  two  or  three  nails, 

to  know   exactly  the  position  of 

the  shoe  upon    the   wall.     Then 

mark  the  part  to  be  cut  out,  when 

the  nails  can  be  pulled  out,  the 

part  cut  or  filed  away  properly,  and  the  shoe  again  nailed  in  place. 
The  success  in  the  treatment  of  the  case  referred  to,  led  me  to 

believe  I  had  made  an  important  discovery,  as  I  had  not  found  it 

laid  down  by  any  authorities  on 
shoeing.  Since  then,  upon  in- 
vestigation, I  have  found  that  the 
principle  was  we/  understood  by 
many  old  authorities,  though  the 
method  of  treatment,  as  will  be 
seen,  was  slightly  different. 

On  page  96  of  Freeman's 
work  on  "  Shoeing,"  published 
in  1796,  he  says  : — 


Fig.  550.— The  Shoe  Made  Wider  than  Foot, 

with  Clips  at  the  Heels  for  Opening  the 

Quarters.     A  French  Device. 


Fig.  551. — Form  of  Screw 

Used  by  the  French  for 

Spreading  the  Shoe. 


I  have  frequently  bought  horses  whose 
feet,  on  examination,  proved  to  have 
corns,  occasioned  by  ill-made  shoes  hav- 
ing pressed  upon  them.  These  were,  in  general,  easily 
cured  by  paring  the  feet  properly  where  the  grievance 
lay,  and  turning  the  horse  out  without  shoes  for  two  or 
three  months. 

In  the  supplement  to  Coleman's  work,  pub- 
lished in  1802,  the  writer  found,  for  the  cure 
of  corns,  the  shoe  cut  away  over  the  corn,  as 
shown  by  Fig.  58Y. 

Bracy  Clark's  work,  published  in  1809,  gives 
an  illustration  of  a  shoe  with  that  part  which 
would  come  over  the  corn  entirely  cut  away. 


SHOEING. 


61 


The  half-moon  shoe,  or   tip,  by  Lafosse,  referred    to    hereafter,    is 
claimed    to    cure    corns.     Caesar   Fiaschi,  of  the  sixteenth  century, 

gives  a  figure  of  a  three-quarter  shoe, 
almost  the  same  form  as  that  of  Bracy 
Clark's,  for  this  trouble.  White's  work, 
published  in  1820,  says  : — 

The  only  thing  to  be  done  is  to  take  oj0f  the  shoe, 
and  turn  the  horse  out  to  grass.  In  slight  cases, 
however,  this  may  not  be  absolutely  necessary, 
and  is  often  inconvenient,  but  it  is  by  far  the 
best  plan,  and  I  may  add,  perJiaps  the  only  effectual 
one,  when  a  radical  cure  is  desired. 

Weak  Heels. 

If  from  any  cause  there  has  been  much 
fever  in  the  feet  for  some  time,  in  conse- 
quence of  being  driven  on  hard  roads,  or  being  partially  foundered, 
there  will  be  diminished  supply  of  horn,  so  that  the  wall  will  not 
only  grow  slower,  but  thinner.  (See  reference  to  inflammation  and 
Figs.  555,  556.) 

Sometimes  the  heels  are   cut  down  so  closely  that  should  the 
shoe  work  loose,  and  wear  or  break  down  the  quarters,  it  would  be 


Fig.  552. — French  Convex  Shoe. 


Fig.  553.— Bracy  Clark's  Convex  Shoe. 
From  his  Book  Published  in  1819. 


Fig.  554. — Ordinary  Convex  Shoe. 


easy  to  produce  a  weak,  low  condition  of  the  heels.  This  may  cause 
a  great  deal  of  trouble,  on  account  of  the  slowness  with  which  the 
horn  grows  to  supply  the  increased  wear.     This  morbid  condition  of 


62 


SHOEING. 


inflammation  also  produces  another 
very  marked  effect,  namely,  that  of  sep- 
arating the  wall  from  the  sole,  or  what 
is  termed  becoming  shelly.  Sometimes, 
if  the  shoes  are  badly  fitted  and  made 
too  wide  at  the  heels  (as  explained  un- 
der the  head  of  "  Contraction  "),  they 
will  soon  cause  a  weak,  bad  condition 
of  the  heels,  the  quarter  gradually  giv- 
ing way  or  breaking  down  ;  and  if  the 
foot  is  at  all  flat,  the  sole  and  frog  be- 
come liable  to  settle,  or  are  made  con- 
vex. 

One  of  the  most  marked  cases  of  this 
kind  the  writer  ever  saw  was  that  of  a 
cart-horse,  brought  to  his  notice  in 
Central  Pennsylvania.  The  feet  were 
broad  and  flat,  with  the  heels  drawn 
in  to  a  point  so  that  there  was  scarcely 
any  bearing  of  them    upon    the    shoe. 

The  result 


Fig.  555.— The  Foot  of  a  Pony  thai 

had  been  Calked,  Referred  to  in 

Text,  after  the  Inflammation 

had  Subsided,  Growing 

Nearly  a  Quarter  of 

an  Inch  Larger. 


Fig.    556.-»The  Foot  Drawn  in  and 
Deformed  from  Long-continued  In- 
flammation Caused  by  a  Nail  be- 
ing Driven  into  the  Foot,  the 
Hoof  Growing  About  Half  an 
Inch  Larger  after  the  In- 
flammation Subsided. 


of  this  was  that  the  horn  wore  or 
broke  away  until  the  line  of  bearing 
was  over  an  inch  above  that  of  the  frosf. 
To  remedy  the  difficulty  the  calks  Avere 
raised  correspondingly  high  to  keep  the 
frog  from  the  ground.  (See  Fig.  594.) 
This  horse  traveled  with  great  diffi- 
culty, even  on  a  walk. 

The  course  most  likely  to  give  suc- 
cess in  the  management  of  these  cases, 
is  to  use  a  wide  shoe  that  will  give  a 
large  bearing-surface  to  the  weak  parts, 
and  sustain  them.  Of  course,  nothing 
more  should  be  cut  away  from  the 
heels  than  is  sufficient  to  only  level 
them  a  little.  Special  care  should  be 
taken  to  prevent  them  from  breaking 
and  wearing  down  by  the  shoe,  which 
may  be  done  by  placing  a  piece  of 
leather  between  the  bearing-surface 
and  shoe.     As  the  horn  will  usually  be 


SHOEING. 


63 


Fig.  557.— Shoe  for  Cure  of  Con- 
traction.   Devised  by  the  Writer. 


very  brittle  and  weak,  it  is  advisable  to 
use  great  care  in  fitting  the  shoe,  with 
thin  clips  on  each  side.  At  any  rate,  the 
shoe  must  be  fastened  on  so  firmly  that  it 
will  not  get  loose.  In  some  cases  it  may 
be  necessary  to  bring  the  bar  down  so 
as  to  enable  a  more  accurate  line  of  ad- 
justment to  the  shoe  and  frog. 

When  in  Massachusetts,  in  18Y6,  a 
leading  horseman  called  my  attention  to 
a  fast-trotting  stallion  that  had  weak 
feet,  and  which  caused  him  a  great  deal 
of  trouble.  He  wished  to  know  how  to 
shoe  them  so  as  to  improve  their  con- 
dition. I  found  the  feet  in  good  shape, 
but  the  sole  and  wall  were  very  thin  and 
weak,  the  effect,  undoubtedly,  of  the 
horse  being  slightly  foundered  or  over- 
heated. I  advised  putting  on  a  shoe 
that  would  support  the  sole  and  frog,  the 
space  between  the  shoe  and  frog  to  be 
packed  with  oakum.  He  objected  that 
this  would  not  do,  as  the  horse  would 
not    bear  any  pressure    at  all  upon   the 


sole.  Some  time  afterward  my 
attention  was  called  to  a  very 
high  indorsement  from  this  gen- 
tleman of  a  certain  form  of  patent 
shoe  that  had  been  used  on  this 
horse.  It  stated  that  it  enabled 
the  horse  to  travel  as  well  as  ever, 
and  that  its  utility  was  all  that 
could  be  desired.  I  was  interested 
to  know  just  what  kind  of  a  shoe 
had  been  used,  and  when  again  in 
that  vicinity,  I  found  one  at  con- 
siderable trouble,  of  which  I  give 
an  accurate  drawing.  (See  Fig. 
698.)  While  it  may  be  evident 
that  in  many  such  cases  the  shoe 
could  be  made  to  support  the  en- 
tire sole,  if  hammered  out  of  iron. 


Fig.  558.— The  Shoe  Adjusted. 


64 


SHOEING. 


th-e  increased  weight  would  make  it  seriously  objectionable.  The 
fitting  of  a  thin  piece  of  steel  plate,  as  shown  in  Fig.  5i>8,  would  en- 
able this  to  be  done  with  but  little  addition  to  its  weight.  The 
manner  of  putting  it  on  was  simply  by  bringing  the  whole  sur- 
face of  the  wall  ana  frog  to  an  even  bearing,  to  which  the  shoe  was 
carefully  adjusted. 

Next,  the  space  between 
the  shoe  and  bottom  of  the 
foot  was  filled  with  oakum, 
to  which  was  added  a  little 
tar  and  resin,  so  as  to  form 
an  even  but  firm  support  all 
the  way  round.*  The  draw- 
ing of  the  oakum,  as  it  ap- 
pears in  Fig.  601,  is  an  ex- 
act illustration  of  that  which 
was  used  upon  the  shoe 
named,  though  only  the 
back  part  of  it  is  shown. 
Parties  who  had  used  the 
shoe  upon  feet  which  had 
become  sore  and  tender 
from  driving  upon  hard, 
stony  roads  in  the  city  and 
neighborhood,  stated  that 
it  enabled  the  horses  to 
travel  much  better.  If  the 
foot  is  sore  and  sensitive, 
supporting  it  with  a  bed  of 
oakum  in  this  way  will 
serve  to  break  concussion,' 
and  consequently  make  the 
horse  go  better  for  a  time. 
But  for  contraction,  quar- 
ter-crack, coffin-joint  lame- 
ness, etc.,  for  which  it  was  advertised  as  a  cure,  it  cannot  benefit 
beyond  the  effect  of  slightly  breaking  concussion,  as  explained. 
It  would    be   just  the  thing  for  weak  heels  and  for  any  condition 

*A  preparation  of  tar,  beeswax,  hard  soap,  and  resin,  melted  and  formed  into  a 
salve,  to  be  used  with  oakum  as  a  packing,  was  given  the  writer  by  a  horseman  of 
much  experience,  as  the  best  for  this  purpose,  claiming  that  it  softened  the  feet  and 
stimulated  the  secretion  of  horn. 


Fig.  559. — Spreaders  in  Position  to  Open  the  Heels. 


SHOEING. 


65 


Fig.  560.— Back  View  of  a  Hcof  Greatly 

Contracted,  the  Effect  of  Long^con- 

tinued  Inflammation. 


where  the  sole  and  frog  need  sup- 
port. As  it  is,  however,  seriously- 
objectionable  to  cover  the  whole 
bottom  of  the  foot  when  it  can  be 
avoided,  I  include  cuts  of  an  im- 
provement by  which  the  whole 
bearing-surface  of  the  frog  and 
heels,  the  important  parts,  can  be 
supported  without  the  sole  being 
excluded  from  moisture  or  air, 
which  is  important  for  the  secretion 
of  healthy  horn.  In  such  a  case,  if 
desired,  the  plate  instead  of  being 
let  to  the  inner  edge,  can  be  ex- 
tended across  the  quarter  so  that 
the  upper  surface  will  come  even 
with    the  shoe,  and  be   riveted  on. 


Interfering. 

The  main  point  in  the  management  of  interfering  is  to  have  the 
shoe  close  under  the  wall  at  the 
point  of  striking,  and  the  offend- 
ing part  shortened  or  straight- 
ened a  little,  and  to  have 
no  nails  driven  there,  the 
clinches  of  which  would  soon 
rise  and  cause  cutting.  The 
edge  of  the  shoe  should  be  bev- 
eled under  a  little,  and  filed 
smooth.  There  is  usually  a  good 
deal  of  carelessness  in  letting 
the  shoe  extend  outside  the 
crust  at  the  point  of  the  heel. 
It  should  set  well  under  the 
wall  all  the  way  round,  and  the 
wall  be  filed  smoothly  to  it.  In 
addition,  in  some  cases,  the 
horse  will  travel  better  to  lower 
the  inside  heel  a  little  ;  in  others, 

to    raise    it.     It  is  in    all  cases        Fig.  561.— Showing  two  Openings  Caused 
advisable,  however,  if  the  horse  by  Corns. 


66 


SHOEING. 


Fig.  562.— Shoe  as  Nailed  on  to 
be  Spread. 


can  be  made  to  travel  without  striking,  to  keep  the  adjustment 
natural  by  paring  the  foot  level  and  making  the  shoe  of  an  equal 
thickness  all  the  way  round,  with 
perhaps  the  inner  part  straightened 
a  little. 

Sometimes  colts  driven  to  a  sulky, 
when  a  little  leg-weary,  may  strike 
badly  ;  in  such  a  case  the  ankle  must 
be  protected.  In  all  cases  where  the 
ankle  is  cut,  the  swelling  and  sore- 
ness increase  the  difficulty,  and 
should  be  guarded  against  by  cov^- 
ering.  If  the  irritation  is  kept  up, 
and  this  is  not  done,  it  may  result 
in  permanent  enlargement  of  the 
part,  which  would  afterward  increase 
the  liability  to  be  hit.  This  can  be 
prevented  only  by  coverings,  or  by 
being  protected  by  the  ordinary  sim- 
ple means,  until  the  inflammation 
subsides  and  the  injury  heals.  Prof  McLellan  says  on  this  sub- 
ject :— 

Treatment  for  interfering,  to  be  rational,  must  take  into  account  the  causations. 
Thus,  if  the  toes  turn  out  —  a  very  common  cause  of  interfering —  they  should  be  in- 
clined in  all  that  is  possible.     This  can  be  accomplished  by  bending  the  outside  web 

of  the  shoe  from  its  inner  to  its  outer 
border,  making  the  edge  through  which  the 
nails  are  driven,  quite  thin.  Or  if  calks 
are  used,  the  toe-calk  can  be  welded 
nearer  the  inside  than  the  outside  toe,  and 
the  toe-calk  beveled  at  the  expense  of  its 
outer  extremity.  If  the  knee  is  banged, 
but  light  shoes  are  indicated.  Lightness  in 
the  shoe  is  always  desirable  ia  the  hind 
feet,  and  if  the  season  of  the  year  permits, 
tips  will  be  found  very  effective  in  pre- 
vention of  interfering.  The  nails  should 
be  left  out  of  the  hoof  at  the  point  where 
it  strikes,  because  the  clinches  are  liable 
to  become  raised  or  loosened,  and  do  in- 
jury. 


Clicking,  or  Overreaching.* 


Fig.  563.— As  the  Heels  Appear  after 
Being  Spread. 


This  is  a  term  applied  to  the  striking  of 
the  hind  shoes  against  the  forward  ones 
during  progression.     It  may  be  due  either 


■  Contributed  by  Prof.  McLellan. 


SHOEINQ. 


67 


Fig.  564.— Badly  Confracfed  Fool.     The  Lines  B  B 
Show  the  Degree  to  which  the  Foot  may 
in  Time  be  Spread. 


to  a  faulty  conformation,  to  weak- 
ness, or  to  disease.  In  seeking  to 
remedy  the  defect,  we  must  en- 
deavor to  discover  its  cause.  If  it 
is  due  to  defective  form,  we  may 
so  adjust  the  hoofs  and  apply  the 
shoes  that  the  feet  shall  be  placed 
upon  the  ground  in  such  relation 
to  the  body  as  to  modify  in  some 
measure  the  fault  of  form.  In 
some  cases  the  toes  of  the  forward 
feet  must  be  reduced  all  that  is 
possible,  and  the  toes  of  the  hind 
feet  lengthened.  In  others,  weights 
or  heavy  shoes  ui:)on  the  forward 
feet  answer  a  good  purpose.  In 
some,  weights  upon  the  outside  of 
the  hind  feet  overcome  the  diffi- 
culty. 

If  the  hind  feet  are  placed  upon 
the  ground  well  forward  when  the 
animal  is  at  rest,  heel-calks  of 
extra  length  will  be  found  useful. 
Weakness,  as  a  cause  of  click- 
ing, is  shown  in  colts  and  in  horses 

that  have  diseased  hind  feet.     In  the  first,  the  animal  is  not  able,  or  has  not  learned, 

to  dwell  upon  the  hind  feet  to  give  to  the  body  that  forward  impulse  that  cornea 

from  the  long  push ;  in  the  second,  pain  prevents  the  extension.     In  the  case  of  the 

colt,  shoeing  must  be  supjjlemented  by  good 

driving, —  the  animal  should  be  kept  up   to 

the  bit,  and  the  head  well  checked  up,  and 

should  not  be   fatigued  by    overdriving.     In 

the  case  where  the  clicking  depends  upon  a 

diseased  condition   of    the  foot    or  leg,   the 

removal  of  the  cause  is  the  indication.      As 

general  rules  for  the  prevention  of  clicking, 

the  toe    of  the   forward  hoof  should  be  re- 
duced all  that  it  will  bear  ;  the  shoe  should 

be  short,  both  at  the  toe  and  heel  ;  the  heels 

of  the  shoe  should  be  beveled  at  the  expense 

of  its  ground  surface  ;  when  the  toe  should 

be  beveled,  giving  the  shoe,  when  applied, 

the  appearance  of  one  partly  worn.     In  many 

cases  concaving  the  ground  surface   of   the 

shoe  is  useful.     If  the  toes  are  long  and  the 

heels  extremely   low,   thick-heeled  shoes   or 

heel-calks  are  indicated. 

The  hind  shoes  should  be  light,  and  long 

at  the  heels,  giving  the  heels  of  the  shoe  as 

wide  a  bearing  as  possible.     In  case  the  toe 


Fig.  565. — Simple  Form  ef  Shoe  for 
Spreading  the  Quarters. 


68 


CAUSES  OF  INJURY. 


of  the  hind  foot  is  much  worn,  and  as  a  consequence  the  hoof  spread  at  its  plantar 
surface,  clips  should  be  drawn  up  from  each  side  of  the  shoe,  so  as  to  grasp  the 
wall  at  its  widest  part.  No  attempt  should  be  made  to  fit  the  shoe  to  the  squared 
and  shortened  toe  ;  but  give  it  the  natural  form,  and  let  it  project  at  the  toe  to  that 
extent  that  would  indicate  the  length  of  the  hoof  were  it  unworn.  Heel-calks  upon 
the  hind  shoes  are  applicable  to  nearly  all  cases. 

In  all  cases  of  overreaching  or  click- 
ing, adjusting  the  hoof  and  shoe  so 
that  the  inside  quarter  and  toe  of  the 
hoof  are  higher  than  the  outside,  will 
assist  in  overcoming  the  difficulty. 

Stumbling. 

Stumbling  is  usually  associated  with 
some  diseased  condition  of  the  foot. 
In  the  prevention  of  this  disagreeable 


Fig.  566. — An  Outline  of  iWr.  Roberge's  Spring, 
with  its  Position  on  the  Foot. 


Fig.  567.— Thick- 
ness of  Spring. 
Full  Size. 


Fig.  568. —Width 
of  Bar.     Full 
Size. 


and  dangerous  habit,  particular  attention  must  be  given  to  cutting  the  hoof.  Reduce 
the  hoof  all  it  will  bear  without  injury  ;  see  that  the  hoof  is  of  equal  depth  on  each 
side  of  the  toe.  This  you  can  ascertain  best  by  standing  in  front  of  the  horse  and 
comparing  the  two  sides.  In  fitting  the  shoe,  bend  up  the  toe,  giving  it  the  rounded 
appearance  of  one  well  worn.  If  calks  must  be  used,  weld  toe-calk  back  to  inner 
margin  of  web,  making  it  low.     In  the  stable  use  wet  swabs  to  the  feet. 

Shoeing  Foundered  Horses.  . 

If  the  mobility  of  the  foot  is  destroyed,  as  the  result  of  chronic 
founder,  or  other  cause  of  morbid  inflammation,  mobility  must  be 
aided  by  rounding  the  entire  shoe  or  toe.  If  the  foot  is  entirely 
stiff,  the  shoe  must  be  so  formed  that  it  will  roll  upon  the  ground, 
which  can  be  easily  done  by  leaving  the  inner  edge  of  each  side 
wide,  and  turning  down  in  a  half  circle,  as  shown  in  Fig.  609. 

If  the  sole  is  broken  down,  or  the  wall  separated  at  the  toe,  the 
result  of  acute  inflammation  or  founder,  weight  will  be  tnrown  more 
upon  the  heels.  For  such  cases  the  shoe  must  be  so  fitted  as  to  ex- 
tend well  back  under  the  heels  ;  and  if  the  sole  is  thin  at  the  toe  — 
bulging  down  —  it  may  be  supported  by  letting  a  thin  flange  of  iron 


SHOEING. 


69 


extend  well  back  under  it  ;  or  fitting  a  steel  plate  across  the  part  so 
as  to  give  an  even  support  all  the  way  round,  and  the  adjustment 
made  easy  by  packing  with 
oakum,    though    in     most 


cases  the  sole  will  not  bear 
pressure,  and  is  simply  to 
be  protected  by  a  wide 
shoe.  The  shoeing  of  such 
feet  must  be  in  a  great 
measure  experimental; 
consequently  the  ingenu- 
ity of  the  owner  or  smith 
must  be  exercised  to  con- 
form with  best  advantage 
to  the  condition  of  the  case. 
First,  do  nothing  that  will 
irritate  or  make  the  foot 
sore.     It  simply  must  be  supported  to  the  best  advantage,  and  the  mo- 


FiG.  569.— Roberge's  Best  Form  of  Shoe  lo  Aid  the 
Mobility  of  the  Foot  in  Lameness. 


Fig.  570. 


-Side  View  of  the  Above,  Showing 
the  Curve. 


bility  aided  by  rounding  the  toe,  or  setting  the  calks  well  back  under  it. 

Special  Causes  of  Injury.* 

I  add  references  to  a  few 
authorities,  showing  the 
bad  effect  of  paring  the 
sole  and  frog  excessively^ 
rasping  the  outer  surface 
of  the  hoof,  and  the  use  of 
thick,  badly-fitting  shoes. 
I  will  call  attention  first 
to  the  most  prominent  authority.  Prof.  Coleman,  from  whose  teach- 
ings all  the  modern  works  in  this  country  have  been  principally 
guided  in  their  instruction. 
In  January,  1792,  a  Veterin- 
ary College  was  started  in 
London.  A  short  time  after- 
ward Edward  Coleman  was 
appointed  Chief  Professor.  I 
cannot  do  better  here  than 
to  copy  from  Prof.  Gamgee's 
work     on     "  Shoeing,"    pub- 

*The  illustrations  in  this  article  overrun  the  text,  and  this  will  explain  why  they  are  not 
placed  opposite  the  matter  referring  to  them. 


Fig.  571.— An  Exact  Scale  of  the  Curve 
of  the  Above  Shoe. 


Fig.  572. — Cross-section  of  the  Same. 


70 


CAUSES  OF  INJURY 


lished    in  London   in   1874,  in   relation  to  Coleman's  teaching, 
says : — 


He 


Fig.  573. — Ordinary  Form  of  Rolling  Motion  Shoe. 


"In  England,  since  Prof.  Cole- 
man ruthlessly  destroyed  the  em- 
pirical knowledge  of  the  old  mas- 
ters, and  substituted  for  it  a  system 
of  fantastic  and  often  cruel  no- 
tions, we  have  been  a  prey  to  end- 
less speculative  theories.  The 
result  is  that  with  the  best  horses 
in  the  world,  we  have  a  far  larger 
proportion  of  lame  ones  than  are 
to  be  found  in  any  other  coun- 
try.    *     *     * 

"It  was  a  kind  of  teaching  on 
the  foot  and  on  shoeinsf  that  did 


Fig.  575.^ — Side  View,  Showing  Degree  of  Curve. 


the  incalculable  and,  I  fear,  almost  irreparable  damage  which  has  brought  suffering 

on  horses  and  shortened  their  ex- 
istence, which  has  spoiled  farriers, 
by  leading  them  astray  on  false 
pretexts,  and  has  entailed  dis- 
FiG.  574.— Cross-section  of  the  Same.  credit  on  the  English  Veterinary 

School.  *  *  ^ 
"  One  change,  among  others  introduced  by  Mr.  Coleman,  has  entailed,  I  believe, 
a  more  lasting  damage  on  the  art 
farriery  than  any  of  his  many  oth- 
er crochets,  which  have  unfortu- 
nately become  thoroughly  parts  of 
English  horse-shoeing.  He  intro- 
duced the  drawing-knife,  and 
made  it  supercede  the  buttress  for 
preparing  the  feet  for  shoeing. 
The  buttress  is  the  instrument  still 

in   use  for  paring  down  the  wall  surface  to  receive  the  shoe  everywhere  except  in 

England  and  parts  of  the  New 
World,  to  which  English  hands 
and  language  have  carried  our 
modes  of  shoeing,  such  as  it  has 
become  only  within  the  present 
century. 

"  Old  men  can  remember  the 
buttress's  being  in  general  use 
throughout  Great  Britain ;  but 
the  way  it  was  banished  from 
English  practice  is  known  to  few  ; 
and  its  supercedence,  and  these 
remarks  on  the  effects  of  the 
change,  may  astonish  many.  The 
drawing-knife,  or  searcher,  as  it 
was    called,     a     small,    hooked. 


Fig.  576. — Ground  Surface  of  Above,  Showing 
Method  of  Putting  on  Calkins. 


SHOEING. 


71 


Fig.  577. — Quarter-crack. 


crooked  little  instrument,  was  formerly  kept  for  the  purpose  of  exploring  wounds  and 
extracting  foreign  bodies  from  the  foot,  and  was  to  that  extent  in  vogue  on  the  Con- 
tinent as  well  as  in  England.  But  theorizing,  and  a  fancy  for  a  change,  led  the 
professor  to  order  the  general  use  of  the  little  hooked  knife  instead  of  such  a  broad, 
level  tool  as  the  buttress.  He  had  unfortunately  conceived  such  notions  as  that  the 
sole  of  the  foot  did  not  bear  the  weight  of  the  animal,  that  it  was  necessary  to  pare 

it  thin  every  time  the  horse  was  shod,  and  that 
the  broad,  level  buttress  was  not  suited  for 
that  ;  hence  the  preference  for  the  little  scoop- 
ing, crooked  searcher.  As  these  incidents 
have  had  a  disastrous  effect  on  shoeing,  which 
we  have  scarcely  in  any  degree  begun  to  re- 
lieve, I  will  quote  from  Mr.  Coleman's  work  of 
1798 :— 

"  '  Those  who  supposed  that  the  weight  of 
the  animal  was  chiefly  supported  by  the  horny 
sole,  have  attributed  a  function  to  that  organ 
which  it  does  not  possess  ;  but,  although  the 
laminae  are  capable  of  sustaining  the  animal, 
yet,  as  they  are  elastic,  and  at  every  step  elon- 
gate, the  horny  sole  is  necessarily  pressed  down 
in  the  same  degree,  and  by  first  descending  and 
then  ascending,  as  the  laminae  dilate  and 
contract,  the  horny  sole  contributes  very  materially  to  prevent  concussion.  This 
union  of  the  crust  with  the  coffin-bone  sustains  the  weight  of  the  animal  ;  the  crust 
supports  the  weight  even  when  the  horny  sole  and  frog  are  removed  ;  if  the  sole  and 
frog  in  reality  supported  the  weight,  then  the  foot  would  slip  through  the  crust  when 
the  frog  and  sole  were  taken  away. 

"  '  The  sole,  frog,  and  bars  were  taken  away  from  both  the  fore  feet  of  a  horse  ; 
the  feet  were  then  alternately  lifted  by 
placing  the  hands  on  the  loins  of  the 
horse ;  he  kicked,  all  his  weight  was 
then  sustained  by  the  laminae  of  the  fore 
feet,  and  yet  this  made  not  the  smallest 
degree  of  change  in  the  situations  of 
the  bones. 

"  '  From  this  experiment,  therefore,  it 
is,  that  the  union  of  the  sensitive  laminae 
with  the  horny  laminae  is  sufficiently 
strong  to  support  the  whole  weight  of 
the  animal  on  two  feet. 

"  '  The  first  thing  to  be  attended  to 
is  to  take  away  the  portion  of  the  sole 
with  the  drawing-knife  ;  and  to  avoid 
pressure,  the  sole  should  be  made  con- 
cave or  hollow.     If  there  be   any   one 

part  of  the  practice  of  shoeing  more  important  than  the  rest,  it  is  this  removal  of 
the  sole  between  the  bars  and  the  crust.  In  common  practice  these  parts  are  removed 
by  an  instrument  called  the  buttress. 

"  '  The  removal  of  a  proper  quantity  of  horny  sole  has  been  represented  to  be  a 


Fig.  578.— French  Shoe. 


72 


SHOEING. 


Fig.  579.— An  Old  Quarter-crack 
Grown  Down. 


Fig.  580. — Quarter-crack. 


through     a 


delicate  operation,  and  in  the  hands  of  common  smiths  liable  to  do  mischief.  But 
any  smith  capable  of  paring  a  hoof  cannot  fail  to  be  equal  to  removing  part  of  the 
sole  with  the  drawing-knife.  That  the  practice  may  be  faithfully  executed  in  the 
army,  a  farrier  from  each  regiment  of  cavalry  has  been  permitted  to  attend  the  col- 
lege to  learn  the  practical  part  of  shoeing.' 

"  The  foregoing  passages,  abounding  as  they  do  in  errors,  give  evidence  of  the 
manner  in  which  some  of  the  greatest  changes  in  the  prac- 
tice of  horse-shoeing  have  occurred  since  its  history  has 
been  written,  and  changes  which  have  led  to  the  worst  pos- 
sible results.  Once,  however,  the  notion  got  possession  of 
the  minds  of  the  men  at  the  wheel,  that  the  bottom  of  the 
foot,  its  arched  sole, 
was  not  designed  to 
support  the  weight, 
but  to  yield  to  pressure 
downward  ;  every- 
thing  had  to  give  way 
to  that  idea.  The  sole 
and  frog  were  torn 
away,  and  because, 
during  the  barbarous 
experiment,  the  con- 
nection did  not  yield,  and  the  bone  7orotrude  like  a  finger 
torn  glove,  negative  evidence  was  taken  in  confirmation  of  the  theory  framed ; 
the  paring  away  of  the  horses'  soles  with  the  drawing-knife  was  thus  estab- 
lished, and  the  army,  by  sending  farriers  to  learn  the  new  system,  became  the 
means  of  enforcing  the  absurd  and  cruel  practice  of  thinning  the  sole  throughout 
this  kingdom  and  the  colonies. 

"  It  is  interesting  to  see  the  differently  constituted  mind  of  Mr.  Moorcroft  on 
the  natural  bearing  of  the  question  in  1800.     He  says  : — 

"  '  The  sole  ties  the  lower  edge  of  the  crust  together,    and  by  its  upper  part 
forming  a  strong  arch,  it  affords  a  firm  basis  to  the 
bone  of  the  foot,  and  by  its  strength  it  defends 
the  sensitive  parts  within  the  hoof.' 

"This  is   true.     We   fail  to  discover   a  single 
passage  in  any  work  or  any 
traditional     account    to    show 
that  any  objection  was  raised 
to  the  continuance  of  the  use 
of  the  buttress  in  England,  any 
more  than  over  the  rest  of  the 
world,     where     it    had    been 
adopted    from  time  immemo- 
rial, until,  along  with  his  other 
new     theories      about     shoe- 
ing, Mr.   Coleman    believed  it  to    be    the  wrong  thing  to    employ,    and    then    a 
crooked  knife  and  a  coarse  rasp  were  adopted  as  weapons  that  might  do  more  de- 
structive execution  than  the  one  dismissed." 

George  Fleming,  in  his  work  on  "  Shoes  and  Horse-shoeing,"  says  : — 

"  This  evil  of  paring  or  rasping  must  be  looked  upon  as  the  greatest  and  most 
destructive  of  all  that  jjertains  to  shoeing,  or  even  to  our  management  of  the  horse. 
?5  a 


Fig.  581. — Toe-crack. 


Fig.  582. — Toe-crack. 


SHOEING. 


73 


Nine  tenths  of  the  workmen  who  resort  to  this  practice  cannot  explain  its  object, 
and  those  who  have  written  in  defense  of  it  say  it  is  to  allow  the  descent  of  the  sole 
and  facilitate  the  lateral  expansion  of  the  hoof. 

"Fancy  our  gardeners  cutting  and  rasping  the  bark  off  our  fruit-trees,  to  assist 
them  in  their  natural  functions,  and  improve  their  appearance  ;  and  yet  the  bark  is 
of  no  more  vital  importance  to  the  tree  than  the  horn  of  the  sole  wall  and  frog  are 
to  the  horse's  foot. 


Fig.  583.— Quarter-crack. 


Fig.  584. — Effect  of  Founder. 


"  The  sole,  frog,  and  bars  must  on  no  account,  nor  under  any  conditions,  unless  those 
of  a  pathological  nature,  he  interfered  uitJi  in  any  way  by  knife  or  rasp.  As  certainly 
as  they  are  interfered  with,  and  their  substance  reduced,  so  surely  will  the  hoof  be 
injured.  Nature  has  made  every  provision  for  the  defense.  They  will  support  the 
contact  of  hard,  soft,  rugged,  or  even  sharp  bodies,  if  allowed  to  escape  the  drawing- 
knife  ;  while  hot,  cold,  wet,  or  even  dry  weather  has  little  or  no  influence  on  the  in- 
terior of  the  foot,  or  on  the  tender  horn,  if  man  does  not  step  in  to  beautify  the  feet 
by  robbing  them  of  their  protection,  perhaps  merely  to  please  the  fancy  of  an  ig- 
norant groom  or  coachman. 

"If  we  closely  examine  the  upper  surface 
of  the  sole  of  a  hoof  that  has  been  separated 
from  its  contents  by  maceration,  we  will  find 
it  perforated  everywhere  by  myriads  of  mi- 
nute apertures,  which  look  as  if  they  had  been 
formed  by  the  point  of  a  fine  needle.  If  we 
look  also  at  the  vascular  parts  of  the  foot  that 
have  been  in  contact  with  this  horny  surface, 
it  will  be  observed  that  they  have  been  closely 
studded  with  exceedingly  fine,  yet  somewhat 
long,  filaments,  as  thickly  set  as  a  pile  of  the 
richest  Genoa  velvet.  These  are  the  villi,  or 
papillas,  which  enter  the  horny  cavity,  and 
fitting  into  them  like  so  many  fingers  into  a 
glove,  constitute  the  secretory  apparatus  of 
the  frog  as  well  as  the  sole.  Each  of  the 
filaments  forms  a  horn  tube  or  fibre,  and  pass- 
es to  a  certain  depth  in  a  protecting  canal 
whose  corneous  wall  it  builds.  When  injected 
with  some  colored  preparation,  one  of  them 
makes  a  beautiful  microscopical  object,  appearing  as  a  long,  tapering  net-work  oi 
blood-vessels,  surrounding  one  or  two  parent  trunks,  and  communicating  with  each 
other  in  a  most  wonderful  manner.     These  filaments  are  also  organs  of  tact,  each 


Fig.  585.— Shoe  for  Quarter-crack. 


74 


CAUSES  OF  INJURY. 


containing  a  sensitive  nerve,  destined  to  endow  the  foot  with   the   attributes  of  a 

tactile  organ. 

"  This  distribution  will  enable  us  to  realize,  to  some  extent,  the  amount  of  in- 
jury done  by  paring.  The  horn  thrown  out  for  their  defense  and  support  being  re- 
moved by  the  farrier's  knife,  and  perhaps  the  ends  of  these  villi  cut  through,  the 
meager  pellicle  remaining  rapidly  shrivels  up,  the  containing  cavity  of  each  vas- 
cular tuft  as  quickly  contracts  on  the 
vessels  and  nerves,  which,  in  their  turn, 
diminish  in  volume,  disappear,  or  be- 
come morbidly  sensitive,  through  this 
squeezing  influence.  The  feet  of  a  horse 
so  treated  are  always  hot,  the  soles  are 
dry  and  stony,  and  become  unnaturally 
concave.  The  animal  goes  tender  after 
each  shoeing,  and  it  is  not  until  the  horn 
has  been  regenerated  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent, that  he  steps  with  anything  like  ease. 
Until  the  new  material  has  been  formed, 
each  papilli  experiences  the  same  amount 
of  inconvenience  and  suffering  that  a  hu- 
man foot  does  in  a  new,  tight  boot. 

"  This  tenderness  is  usually  ascribed  to 
the  nails  and  other  causes  ;  and  the  horse, 
in  the  stable,  rests  on  one  foot,  then  on 
the  other,  as  if  he  suffered  uneasiness 
*     *     * 


Fig.  586. — Gifford's  Fool  as  it  Appeared 
Before  Treatment. 


or  pam. 

"  All  the  preparation  any  kind  of  foot  usually  requires  for  the  shoe  may  be 
summed  up  in  a  few  words ;  leveling  the  crust  in  conformity  with  the  limb  and  foot, 
and  removing  as  much  of  its  margin  as  will  restore  it  to  its  natural  length,  rounding 
its  outer  edge  at  the  same  time,  and  leaving  the  sole,  bars,  frog,  and  heels  in  all  their 
naturalintegrity." 

Osmer,  an  old  writer  of  good  standing,  in  1751  said  :  — 

"  I  believe  there  are  many  horses  that  might  travel 
their  whole  lifetime  unshod  on  any  road,  if  they 
were  rasped  round  and  short  on  the  toe  ;  because 
all  feet  exposed  to  hard  objects  become  thereby  more 
obdurate,  if  the  sole  be  never  pared  :  and  some, 
by  their  particular  form,  depth,  and  strength,  are 
able  to  resist  them  quite,  and  to  support  the  weight 
without  breaking  ;  and  here  a  very  little  reflection 
will  teach  ^us  whence  the  custom  arose  of  shoeing 
horses  in  one  part  of  the  world  and  not  in  another. 
In  Asia  there  is  no  such  custom  of  shoeing  the  horse 
at  all,  because  the  feet  acquire  a  very  obdurate  and 
firm  texture  from  the  dryness  of  the  climate  and 
the  soil,  and  do  really  want  no  defense.  But  every 
rider  has  a  rasp  to  shorten  his  horse's  feet,  which 
would  otherwise  grow  long  and  rude,  and  the  crust 


Fig.  587.— Shoe  Fitted  for  Cur- 
ing Corns.     From  Coleman. 


of  the  hoof  would  most   certainly  split. 


SHOEING. 


75 


He  continues  by  saying, — 

"From  the  good  that  was  found  to  arise  from  putting  shoes  on  horses  which 
have  naturally  weak  feet  from  being  brought  up  on  wet  land,  the  custom  of  putting 
shoes  on  all  kinds  of  feet  became  general  in  some  countries.     Our  ancestors,    the 

original  shoers,  proposed  nothing 
more,  I  dare  say,  in  their  first  ef- 
forts, than  to  preserve  the  crust 
from  breaking  way,  and  thought 
themselves  happy  that  they  had 
skill  enough  so  to  do.  The  mod- 
erns also  are  wisely  content  with 
this  in  the  racing  way. 

"  In  process  of  time  the  fertility 
of  invention  and  the  vanity  of  man- 
kind have  produced  a  variety  of 
methods  ;  almost  all  of  which  are 
productive  of  lameness  ;  and  I  am 
thoroughly  convinced  from  obser- 
vation and  experience,  that  nine- 
teen lame  horses  out  of  every  twenty 
are  lame  of  the  artist,  which  is  ow- 
ing to  the  form  of  the  shoe,  his  ig- 
norance of  the  design  of  nature, 
and  maltreatment  of  the  foot,  every 


Fig.  588. — Posilion  of  the  Spreaders  for 
Opening  the  Quarter. 


part  of  which  is  made  for  some  purpose  or  other,  though  he  does  not  know  it. 

"I  suppose  it  will  be  universally  assented  to,  that  whatever  method  of  shoeing 
approaches    nearest  to    the    law  of   na- 
ture, such  is  likely  to  be  the  most  perfect 
method.*     *     * 

"The  superfices  of  the  foot  around 
the  outside,  now  made  plane  and  smooth, 
the  shoe  is  to  be  made  quite  flat,  of  an 
equal  thickness  all  around  the  outside, 
and  open  and  most  narrow  backward  at 
the  extremities  of  the  heels  ;  for  the  gen- 
erality of  horses,  those  whose  frogs  are 
diseased,  either  from  natural  or  inciden- 
tal causes,  require  the  shoe  to  be  wider 
backwards  ;  and  to  prevent  this  flat  shoe 
from  pressing  on  the  sole  of  the  horse, 
the  outer  part  thereof  is  to  be  made 
thickest,  and  the  inside  gradually  thin- 
ner. In  such  a  shoe  the  frog  is  permit- 
ted to  touch  the  ground,  the  necessity 
of  which  has  already  been  seen.  Added  Fig.  589.— The  Shoe  as  if  Appeared  when  on. 
to  this,   the    horse    stands   more    firmly  W'"i  *he  Quarters  Opened  Out. 

upon  the  ground,   having  the   same  points   of  sujiport  as  in  a  natural  state. 

"Make  the  shoes  as  light  as  you  can  according  to  the  size  of  your  horse,  because 
heavy  shoes  spoil  the  back  sinews  and  weary  the  horse  ;  and  if  he  happen  to  over- 
reach, the  shoes,  being  heavy,  are  all  the  more  rapidly  pulled  off. 


76 


CAUSES  OF  INJURY. 


"Those  who  think  it  frugality  to  shoe  with  tliick  and  heavy  shoes,  and  seldom, 
are  deceived,  for  they  lose  more  by  it  than  they  gain  ;  for  thereby  they  not  only  spoil 
the  back  sinews,  but  lose  more  by  it  than  if  they  had  been  light." 

It  is  conceded  by  all  the  best  modern  authorities  that  the 
French  author  above  referred  to,  whose  work  was  published  in  1750, 
was  the  great  father  of  a  correct 
system  of  reform  in  shoeing.  It 
was  supposed  in  his  day,  as  it  is 
in  a   great  measure  now,  that   a 


Fig.  592.— Flat,  Convex  Sole. 


Fig.  590,  591. — Sand-crack,  or  Fissure  in  Front  cf  Hoof. 

A  deep  substance  of  horn  is  found  beneath  the  fissure  at  the  lower  part  of  the  hoof, 
where  a  corresponding  cavity  is  formed  by  absorption  in  the  coffin-bone. 

horse   could  not  travel  without  having  heavy,   unwieldy   shoes  on, 
and    that    the   greatest   skill 
was  exhibited  in  the  amount 
of  cutting  and  rasping  done 
on  this  feet. 

He  boldly  proclaimed  that 
all  this  was  injurious,  and 
tried  to  prove  it  by  the  most 
convincing  arguments.  The 
principles  of  treatment, 
though  given  a  hundred  and  thirty  years  ago,  are  just  as  important 
now  as  they  were  then.  He 
says : — 

"In  the  state  of  nature,  all  the 
inferior  parts  of  the  foot  concur  to 
sustain  the  weight  of  the  body  ; 
then  we  observe  that  the  heels  and 
frog,  the  parts  said  to  be  most  ex- 
posed, are  never  damaged  by  wear, 
that  the  wall  or  crust  is  alone  worn 
on  going  on  hard  ground,  and  that 
it  is  only  this  part  which  must  be 
protected,  leaving  the    other   parts 

free  and  unfettered  in  their  natural  ^ig.  593.— Flat,  Weak  Sole, 

movements." 


SHOEING. 


77 


Fig.  594. — Fool  Referred  to  in  Text  as  it  Appeared. 


In  advising  tips  or  thin-heeled  shoes,  he  says  : — 

' '  Thin  tips  extending  back  to  the  middle  of  the  quarters,  allow  the  heels  to 
bear  upon  the  ground,  and  the  weight  to  be  sustained  behind  and  before,  but  partic- 
ularly in  the  latter,  because  the  weight  of  the  body  falls  heaviest  there. 

"  The  shorter  the  shoe  is, 
the  less  the  horse  slips,  and 
the  frog  has  the  same  influ- 
ence in  preventing  this  that 
an  old  hat  placed  under  our 
own  shoes  would  have  in 
protecting  us  from  slipping 
on  the  ice.     *     *     * 

"It is  necessary,  neverthe- 
less, that  hoofs  which  have 
weak  walls  should  be  a  little 
longer  shod,  so  that  the  grad- 
ually thinning  branches 
reach  to  the  heels,  though 
not  resting  upon  them.  For 
horses  which  have  convex 
soles,  these  long  shoes 
should  also  be  used,  and  the 
toes  should  be  more  covered 
to  prevent  the  sole  touch- 
This  is  the  only  true  method  of  preserving  the  foot  and  restoring 
it.  A  horse  which  has  its  feet  weak  and  sensitive,  ought  to  be  shod  as  short  as  pos- 
sible, and  with  thin  branches,  so  that  the  frog  comes  in  contact  with  the  ground  \ 
because  the  heels,  having  nothing  between  them,  are  benefited  and  relieved.  (See 
Fig.  479.) 

"  Crescent  shoes  are  all  the  more 
needful  for  a  horse  which  has  weak, 
incurvated  quarters,  as  they  not 
only  relieve  them,  but  also  restore 
them  to  their  natural  condition. 
Horses  which  have  contusion  at  the 
heels  (blains,  corns),  should  also  be 
shod  in  this  way  ;  and  for  cracks 
(seime,  sand-cracks)  at  the  quarter, 
it  is  also  advantageous. 

"The  sole  or  frog  should  never 
be  pared  ;  the  wall  alone  should  be 
cut  down,  if  it  is  too  long.  When 
a  horse  cuts  himself  with  the  op- 
posite foot,  the  inner  branch  of 
the  shoe  ought  to  be  shorter  and 
thinner  than  the  outer. 

"Rasping  the  foot  destroys  the 
strength  of  the  hoof,  and  consequently  causes  its  horn  to  become  dry,  and  the 
horny  laminae  beneath  to  grow  weak  ;  from  this  often  arises  an  internal  inflam- 
mation, which  renders  the  foot  painful,  and  makes  the  horse  go  lame.     *     *     * 


ing  the  ground. 


Fig.  595. 


—The  Shoe  as  it  may  be  Fitted  to 
Support  Weak  Heels. 


78 


CAUSES  OF  INJURY. 


Fig.  596.— Points  Showing  where  the 
Horn  is  Strongest  to  Drive 
the  Nails  In. 


"When  a  horse  loses  a  shoe,  a  circumstance  often  occurring,  if  the  hoof  is 
pared,  the  animal  cannot  walk  a  hundred  steps  without  going  lame  ;  because  in  this 
state  the  lower  surface  of  the  foot  being  hollowed,  the  horse's  weight  falls  upon  the 
crust,  and  this,  having  no  support  from  the  horny  sole,  is  quickly  broken  and  worn 
away  ;  and  if  he  meets  hard  substances  on  the  road,  he  all  the  more  speedily  be- 
comes lame.  It  is  not  so  when  the  sole  is  al- 
lowed to  retain  its  whole  strength.  The  shoe 
comes  off,  but  the  sole  and  frog  resting  on  the 
ground,  assist  the  crust  in  bearing  the  whole 
weight  of  the  body,  and  the  animal,  though 
unshod,    is   able  to  pursue  his  journey   safe 

and  sound It  is  necessary  to  be 

convinced  of  another  fact ;  that  is,  it  is  rare 
that  a  horse  goes  at  his  ease  and  is  not 
promptly  fatigued,  if  the  frog  does  not  touch 
the  ground.  As  it  is  the  only  point  of  sup- 
port, if  you  raise  it  from  the  ground  by  paring 
it,  there  arises  an  inordinate  extension  of 
the  tendon,  caused  by  the  pushing  of  the  cor- 
onary against  the  navicular  bone,  as  has  been 
mentioned  above,  and  which,  being  repeated 
at  every  step  the  animal  takes,  fatigues  it  and 
induces  inflammation.  From  thence  often 
arises  distentions  of  the  sheaths  of  tendons 
(moletts-vulgo,  '  windgalls ')  engorgements, 
and  swelling  of  tendons,  etc.,  that  are  observed  after  long  or  rapid  journeys.  These 
accidents  arise  less  from  the  length  of  the  journey,  as  has  been  currently  believed, 

than  from  the  false  practice  of 
paring  the  sole.  .  .  .  We  al- 
ways find  ourselves  more  active 
and  nimble  when  we  wear  easy 
shoes ;  but  a  wide,  long,  and 
thick  shoe  will  do  for  horses 
what  clogs  do  for  us, — render 
them  heavy,  clumsy,  and  un- 
steady.    *     *     * 

"  The  feet  become  convex  by 
hollowing  the  shoes  to  relieve  the 
heel  and  frog,  because  the  more 
the  shoes  are  arched  from  the 
sole,  the  more  the  wall  of  the 
hoof  is  squeezed  and  rolled  in- 
ward, particularly  toward  the  in- 
ner quarter,  which  is  the  weakest ; 
the  sole  of  the  foot  becomes  con- 
vex, and  the  horse  is  nearly  al- 
ways unfit  for  service.     *     *     * 

"  The  reason  why  it  is  dangerous  to  pare  the  feet  of  horses  is,  that  when  the 
sole  is  pared,  and  the  horses  tands  in  a  dry  place,  the  horn  becomes  desiccated  by  the 
air  which  enters  it,  and  removes  its  moisture  and  its  suppleness,  and  of  ten  causes  the 
animal  to  be  lame.     *     «•    * 


Fig.  597. 


-The  Same  as  would  Appear  with  the 
Shoe  On. 


SHOEIN-Q. 


79 


"  It  is  the  pared  foot  that  is  more  affected  with  what  is  termed  contracted  or 
weak  inside  quarter,  and  which  also  lames  the  horse. 

"  It  also  happens  that  one  or  both  quarters  contract,   and  sometimes  even  the 
whole  hoof,  when,  in  consequence  of  its  smallness,  all  the  internal  parts  are  confined 

in  their  movements  ;  this  is   due   to   paring, 
and  lames  the  horse. 


Fig.  598.— Original  Shoe  Fitted  with 
Plate  On. 


Fig.  599. — Form  of  Bar  Shoe  which 
would  be  a  Good  Support  for 
Weak  Heels. 


"  There  also  occurs  another  accident :  when  the  quarter  becomes  contracted,  the 
hoof  splits  in  its  lateral  aspects,  and  the  horse  is  lame.  This  accident  is  termed  a 
sand-crack  (seime)." — Lafosse. 

Though   not  generally  known,  this  system  of  shoeing  has  long 
been  in  use  in  India.     Freeman,  in  his  work  published  in  1796,  who 


Fig.  600.— Same  as  598  with  Plate 
Removed. 


Fig.  601.— Heel  of  Shoe  598  with  Pad 
of  Oakum  Attached. 


is  yet  considered  good  authority,  strongly  advocated  this  system  of 
shoeing.     He  gives  the  following  statement,  which  explains  itself: — 

"  The  instance  in  which  I  was  disappointed  was  that  of  a  horse  kept  entirely  for 
a  riding-horse,  and  which  was  consequently  almost  daily  under  my  own  inspection. 


80 


CAUSES  OF  INJURY. 


This  horse  had  very  strong  feet,  one  of  which  was  smaller  than  the  other,  with  the 
toe  turning  out  and  the  frog  almost  wasted.  The  bars  of  the  foot,  before  he  was 
turned  out,  were  scarcely  visible,  but  upon  examining  them  after  he  had  been  out 


Fig.  602. — Bearing-surface  of  Shoe  to 
Prevent  Striking. 


Fig.  603. — Forward  Shoe  to  Prevent 
Striking. 


about  three  months,  they  were  found  to  have  increased  surprisingly.  Notwithstanding 
this,  they  were  not  strong  enough  to  counteract  the  pressure  of  the  quarters  ;  and 
the  foot  itself  seemed  to  be  rather  decreased,  which  is  contrary  to  what  is  usual ;  for 
after  having  been  turned  out  for  a  certain  time,  they  generally  become  larger.  So 
particular  a  case  led  me  to  turn  my  mind  to  a 
particular  method  of  cure.  This  I  should  hardly 
have  found  out,  if  chance  had  not  at  that  time 
put  into  my  hands  Lieutenant  Moor's  "Narrative 
of  Captain  Little's  Detachment."  On  page  93  of 
this  book  is  the  following  passage  : — 

"'The  bigotry  with  which  all  sects  of  the 
Hindoos  adhere  to  their  own  customs  is  very 
well  known  ;  still  when  these  customs  are  strik- 
ingly injudicious,  and  totally  abstracted  from 
all  religious  prejudices,  perseverance  degenerates 
into  obstinacy,  and  simplicity  into  ignorance. 
So  it  is  with  the  Mahrattas  in  abiding  by  their 
present  practice  of  cutting  the  hoof  and  shoeing 
horses;  they  cutaway  the  hinder  part  of  the  hoof 
in  such  a  manner  that  the  pastern  almost  touches 
the  ground,  and  the  frog  is  suffered  to  grow  so 
that  the  hoof  is  nearly  a  circle,  in  which  form 
the  shoes  are  made,  the  hinder  parts  almost 
touching,  and  so  thin  that  a  person  of  ordinary 
strength  can  easily  twist  them.  Instead  of  making  the  back  part  of  the  shoe  thick- 
est, they  hammer  it  quite  thin,  making  the  fore  part  thickest,  and  the  shoe,  grad- 
ually becoming  thinner,  ends  in  an  edge.' 


Fig.  604. — Shoe  to  Prevent  Inter- 
fering or  Clicking. 


SHOEING. 


81 


"Tlii8  mode  of  shoeing  in  a  country  where,  from  the  nature  of  the  climate,  the 
horse's  feet  probably  are  very  strong,  did  not  strike  me  to  be  quite  so  injudicious  as 
the  author  above  mentioned  represents  it.  I  determined,  therefore,  to  try  on  this 
particular  horse  a  shoe  in  some  respects  similar  to  those  described,  that  I  might  see 
whether  it  would  alter  the  shape  of  his  foot ;  since  it  is  said  to  make  '  the  frog  grow  so 


Fig,  605. — F,orm  of  Shoe  Adapted  for  Pro- 
tection of  the  Foot  and  Aiding  Mo- 
bility— From  the  French. 


Fig.  G06. 
Ground  View  of  Same. 


that  the  hoof  is  nearly  a  circle,'  which  was  the  very  effect  that  in  this  case  I  wished 
to  produce.  I  therefore  ordered  my  sraith  to  make  a  shoe  at  my  own  forge  in  the 
form  I  ganerally  use  (which  will  be  hereafter  described),  with  the  following  excep- 
tions :  The  web  of  it  was  to  almost  cover  the  sole,  room  being  given  to  admit  a 
picker  ;  and  as  it  proceeded  to  the  heels,  the  web  on  each  side  was  to  be  continued 
as  far  as  the  cleft  which  separates  the  bars  from  the  frog.  He  was  to  make  the  fore 
part  the  'thickest,'  and  to  hammer  it  so  thin  at  the  heels  that  it  would  '  end  in  an 
edge,'  by  which  a  person  of  ordinary  strength  could  easily  twist  it. 

'  i  own  I  apprehended  that  this  shoe,  from 
being  so  thin  at  the  heels,  would  bend  in  dif- 
ferent places,  and  thereby  injure  the  foot.  But 
as  it  was  constantly  u<ider  my  own  eye,  I  knew 
that  if  that  circumstance  should  happen,  the  in- 
jury could  not  be  material  in  the  short  time  it 


Fig.  607.— Form  of  Shoe  Adapted  to  Hind  Foot 
to  Aid  Mobility.     Used  by  the  French. 


Fig.  608. 
Shoe  Raised  from  the  Heel. 


would  be  permitted  to  go  unnoticed.  But  this  did  not  prove  to  be  the  case.  After 
the  horse  had  worn  this  shoe  a  day  or  two  only,  I  found  the  action  of  the  leg  was 
more  free  than  it  had  ever  been  before  ;  for  the  bars  with  their  covering  touched 
the  ground  ;  the  extremities  of  the  web  on  each  side,  by  being  so  veiy  thin,  having 


82 


CAUSES  OF  IN-JURY. 


bent  a  little  over  them,  but  they  were  prevented  from  injuring  them  by  being  ex- 
tended to  the  cleft  which  separated  the  bars  from  the  frog.  This  pressure  of  the 
web  on  the  bars  was  an  assistance  to  them  in  the  expan- 
sion of  the  quarters  ;  and  the  shoe  was  kept  so  wide  at 
the  heels  that  the  exterior  parts  of  it  could  not  hurt  him. 
This  shoe,  therefore,  acted  exactly  contrary  to  other 
shoes,  which,  as  I  before  men- 
tioned, are  generally  an  im- 
pediment to  the  expansion  of 
the  heels,  whereas  this  be- 
came an  assistance  to  it. 

"  In  three  weeks  I  took  off 
this  shoe  to  examine  the  state 
of  the  foot.  His  frog  was 
found  to  be  increased,  and  in 
a  better  condition  than  I  had 
before  seen  it.  The  same  shoe 
was  therefore  replaced  for  three  weeks  more,  at  the  end  of  which  time  his  foot  had 
become  considerably  larger  and  straighter.  In  a  week  or  ten  days  more  the  horse 
was  to  go  thirty-six  miles  on  a  turnpike  road. 

"Although  this  kind  of  shoe  had  succeeded  so  well  in  a  riding-horse,  I  had  some 

doubts  about  venturing  it  on  the  road.  However, 
I  at  last  determined  to  risk  it,  and  had  another  shoe 
put  on  of  exactly  the  same  pattern,  in  which  he  per- 
formed his  journey  without  any  injury,  so  that  I 
have  ever  since  continued  to  adopt  it,  having  found 
it  to  answer  beyond  any  expectation  I  had  formed 
of  it ;  for  that  foot  which  was  before  smaller  than 
the  other,  with  the  toe  turning  out,  has,  by  the  use 
of  this  shoe,  become  of  the  same  size,  and  so  straight  that  there  is  now  scarcely  any 
difference  between  the  two  feet." 


Figs.  609,  610.— Shoes  Adapted  for  Stiff  Joints. 


Fig.  611. — French  Shoe  for 
Aiding  Mobility. 


Fig.  612. 


African  Shoes. 


Fig.  613. 


Representative  Model  Shoes  of  Different  Kinds.     From  the  French.       [83] 


[84]        Represenlalive  Model  Shoes  of  Different  Kinds.     From  the  French. 


SHOEING. 


85 


We  give  here  a  few  specimens  of  shoes  from  Caesar  Fiaschi's 
work,  published  in.  England  in  the  16th  century.  The  figures  of 
shoes  he  gives  are  twenty  in  number.  No.  1.  Fore-shoe  without 
calkin  ;  2.  Shoe  with  the  calkin  ;  a  7  Aragoiiaise  on  one  side,  and 
the  other  side  thickened;  3.  Lunette  shoe,  or  "tip";  4.  Three- 
quarter  shoe  ;   5.   Beveled  shoe,  with  the  Aragonaise  calkin  on  one 


Figs.  662—681. 

branch,  and  the  other  thick  at  the  heel  ;  6.  Shoe  with  sciettes,  or 
projecting  toothed  border,  thickened  toward  each  heel  to  prevent 
slipping  ;  T.  Thick-sided  shoe,  thin  toward  the  inner  border,  and 
seated  like  the  English  shoe  ;  8.  Shoe  with  buttons,  or  raised  catches 
on  the  inner  branch,  and  thickened  on  the  heel  of  the  same  side  ; 
9.  A  shoe  which  has  the  inside  heel  and  quarter  much  thicker  and 


86 


SHOEING. 


narrower  than  usual ;  10.  A  shoe  with  crests  or  points  toward  the 
ground  surface  on  the  toe  and  quarter,  and   barbettes  at   the   heels  ; 

11.  A  shoe  with  the  calkins  doubled  over,  and  provided  with  rings  ; 

12.  The  foot  surface  of  a  shoe  with  the  heels  turning  up  toward  the 
foot  ;  13.  Shoe  with  two  calkins  ;  14.  A  bar  shoe  ;  15.  A  jointed 
shoe  to  suit  any  size  of  foot  ;  16.  A  jointed  shoe  without  nails,  and 
secured  by  the  lateral  border  and  the  heel-screw  ;  lY.  A  hind  shoe 
with  calkins  ;  18.  A  shoe  with  one  of  the  branches  greatly  thickened 
at  the  heel  ;  19.  A  hind  shoe  with  a  crest  or  toe-piece  ;  20.  A  hind 
shoe  with  the  toe  elongated  and  curled  upward,  probably  for  a  foot 
the  back  tendons  of  which  were  contracted,  causing  the  horse  to 
walk  on  the  point  of  the  toe. 

Below,  in  Figs.  682-685,  are  given  a  variety  of  old  Roman 
shoes  found  in  England,  France,  and  Switzerland,  and  supposed  to 
be  from  nineteen  hundred  to  over  two  thousand  years  old. 


Fig  682. 


Fig.  683. 


Fig.  684. 


Fig.  685. 


SHOEING. 


87 


Tig.  686. — Forged  Steel  Shoe,  Specimen  from  a 
Variety  Manufactured  by  the  Bryden  Forged 
Horse  Shoe  Works,  Catasaqua,  Pa.* 


Fig.  687.— Syrian  Shoe. 


Fig.  688. — Lafosse's  Half-moon 
Shoe,  and  Tip  of  Steel. 


Fig.  689.— Arabian  Shoe. 


Fig.  690.— Syrian  Shoe. 


*  This,  with  other  cuts  of  model  shoes  manufactured  by  this  company,  were  by 
special  request  forwarded  to  me  for  insertion  among  models  of  good  working  shoes, 
but  were  received  too  late  to  be  put  in  proper  place.  The  patentee,  Mr.  Bryden,  is 
known  to  me  personally  as  a  man  of  rare  skill  as  a  student  of  the  foot.  I  am  in- 
debted to  him  for  many  valuable  points  on  the  treatment  of  the  foot,  and  the  shoea 
manufactured  under  his  supervision  are  so  good  in  all  respects  that  I  would  strongly 
urge  upon  shoers  and  others  interested  to  give  them  a  trial. 


Fig.  I. 

The  shoe  properly  formed,  adjusted,  and   nailed   on   the   hoof   of   a   five-year- 
old  horse  that  had  never  been  shod  but  once. 


Fig.  II. 

The  foot  as  it  is  ruined  by  bad  treatment.  The  shoe  and  nails  are  too 
large;  the  nails  too  many  in  number  and  driven  too  deep.  The  shoe  is  set  back 
too  far.  The  hoof  is  rasped  away  so  much  as  to  weaken  it  and  destroy  its  sym- 
meir^'. 

PLJLTl    I. 


v^*» 


LJiTl   II. 


PLJLTl   IL* 


A    front    view    of  the    bones   of   the  fore  feet  of   a  horse 
in  their  relative  position. 

A.  The  pastern  bone. 

B.  The  coronary  bone. 

C.  The  navicular  bone. 

D.  The  foot  bone. 

E.  The  point  of  insertion  of  the  tendon  of  the  extensor  muscle. 

F.  A  concavity  to  give  attachment  to  the  ligament  vphich  unites  the 
foot  bone  to  the  coronary  bone  at  G. 

G.  Coronary  bone. 

H.    A  continuation  of  the  same  concavity,  to   which  the  cartilage  of 

the  foot  bone  is  attached. 
I,  I.    The  upper  and  lower  processes  of  the  foot  bone. 

K,  K.  A  groove  in  the  foot  bone,  which  receives  a  division  of  the 
main  artery,   coming  round  from  behind. 

K,  L.  A  groove  receiving  another  division  of  that  artery,  which  pro- 
ceeds round  the  extreme  edges  of  the  foot  bone. 

*  The  plates  here  given  are  selected  from  the  author's  special  book  on  the  horse, 
"Facts  for  Horse  Owners,"  in  which  are  forty  plates.  In  the  extra  edition  these  plates 
are  printed  in  colors. 


■  I' 


/   I    ^ 


'   /  ' 


til  ■ 


FLJ.T1   III. 


PLATE   m. 

Fig.  I. 

A  back  view  of  the  bones  of  the  fore  foot  in  their  relative 
situation. 

A.  Pastern  bone. 

B.  Coronary  bone. 

C.  Navicular  bone. 

D.  Foot  bone. 

E.  A  cavity  which  in  the  natural  state  is  filled  with  fat. 

F.  The  upper  surface  of  the  navicular  bone,  from  which  two  ligaments 
arise,  and  pass  round  the  lateral  depression  in  the  coronary  bone, 
marked  G. 

G.  Points  of  attachment  on  each  side  of  the  ligament  which  unites  the 
navicular  bone  to  the  foot  bone. 

I.     Two  grooves  in  which  two  main  trunks  of  the  arteries  are  continued 

into  the  foot  bone. 
K.    The  line  of  insertion  of  the  tendon  of  the  flexor  muscle. 

Fig.  II. 

A  view  of  the  anterior  and  inferior  surfaces  of  the  navicu- 
lar bone  detached  from  the  other  bones. 


Fig.IV. 


PLJLTl   I¥. 


PLJiTE    I¥ 


This  cut  represents  the  third  phalanx  seen  from  its  pos- 
terior part  ;  and  the  navicular  bone, — inferior,  superior,  and 
anterior  views. 


Fig,  I. 


Posterior  Part  of  the  Third  Phalanx   (ADULT). 


A.  Semi-lunar  crest. 

D.  Basilar  process. 

F.  Superior  border. 

G.  Spreading  out  of  the  articular  face. 

K.  Anterior  view  of  the  pyramidal  eminence. 

M.  Posterior  view  of  the  inferior  face. 

N.  Glenoid  cavity  of  the  superior  face. 

Q.  Portion  of  the  articular  surface  corresponding  to  the  anterior  bor- 
der of  the  navicular  bone. 

R.  Retrossal  process. 

S.  Edge  of  the  plantar  fissure. 

V.  Posterior  border  of  the  third  phalanx. 

X.  Plantar  orifice  for  passage  of  blood  vessels. 


Fig.  II. 


Posterior  Part  of  the  Third  Phalanx    (COLT). 


A.  Semi-lunar  crest. 

D.  Basilar  process. 

F.  Superior  border. 

M.  Posterior  view  of  the  bone. 

R.  Retrossal  process. 

S.  Plantar  fissure. 

Fig.  III. 

Inferior  Face  of  Navicular^ 

C.  Transverse  ridge. 

E.  Anterior  border. 

H.    Extremity  of  the  bone. 

Fig.  IV. 

A.  Median  ridge  or  bulge  of  the  superior  face, 

D.  Anterior  superior  border. 

E.  Anterior  inferior  border. 

G.  Posterior  border  (is  very  thick,  and  cribbled  or  pierced  with  vas- 

cular orifices). 


Fig   V. 


Anterior  Face  of  Navicular. 


E.    Soft  part  hollowed  under  the  anterior  articular  facet. 
H.    Articular  facet  corresponding  to  the  posterior  facet  of    the  third 
phalanx. 


lig-lll. 


PLATE    ¥. 


PLJkTE   ¥ 


This  plate  represents  the  third  phalanx  of  the  colt,  seen 
from  its  lateral,  anterior,  and  inferior  faces. 

Fig.  I. 

Iiateral   Face. 

A.  Base  of  the  pyramidal  eminence. 

B.  Vascular  porosities. 

C.  Patilobe  eminence. 
E.    Pre-plantar  fissure. 

D.  Basilar  process. 

K.  Pyramidal  eminence. 
R.    Retrossal  process. 

Fig.  II. 

Anterior   Face. 

A.  Pyramidal  eminence. 

B.  Poroeities   and  vascular  imprints 

C.  Patilobe  eminence. 

D.  Basilar  process. 

E.  Pre-plantar  fissure. 

F.  Superior  border. 

Fig.  III. 

Inferior   Face. 

A.     Semi-lunar  crest. 

H.    Plantar  fissure. 

J.    Imprint  of  the  insertion  of  the  perforans. 

P.    Inferior  face. 

S.    Edge  of  the  plantar  fissure. 


\'t 


\i   :\\\      ' 


FL1.T1   ¥1. 


FLAT!   ¥1 


This  figure  represents  the  posterior  face  of  the  digital 
region,  flexed  backward  in  a  manner  to  show  in  its  full  ex- 
tent the  inferior  or  plantar  face  of  the  foot. 

The  skin  has  been  lifted  from  above  the  third  phalanx, 
and  the  enveloping  sheaths  of  the  tendons  are  dissected.  The 
velvety  tissue  is  preserved. 

A.  Median    part    of    the    pyramidal    body  (fleshy   frog)    of    plantar 

cushion,  or  sensitive  tissue  of  the  sole. 

B.  Branches  of  the  pyramidal  body. 

C.  Cartilaginous  bulb. 

E.  Angle  of  inflection  of  the  branches  of  the  pyramidal  body. 

F.  Point  or  apex  of  the  fleshy  frog. 

J.    Interval  of  separation  of  the  two  branches  of  the  perforatus. 

L.    Lateral  lacunae  of  the  jjyramidal  body. 

M.    Median  lacunae  of   the  pyramidal  body. 

Q,     Q.  Fibrous  sheath  of  union  of  the  two  branches  of  the  perforatus 

R.  Branches  of  theperforatus  directing  th  emselves  towardtheir  point 
of  insertion  at  the  second  phalanx. 

T.    Tendon  of  the  perforatus. 

T'.  Tendon  of  the  perforans  at  its  passage  between  the  branches  of 
the  perforatus. 

V.     Strengthening  sheath  of  the  plantar  aponeurosis. 

X.  Lateral  bands  of  the  strengthening  sheath  of  the  plantar  aponeu- 
rosis, which  cross  the  direction  of  the  branches  of  the  perfo- 
ratus to  go  and  attach  themselves  on  the  lateral  parts  of  the 
first  phalanx. 


FLAT!   ¥11. 


PLJLTl    ¥11 


This  plate  shows  a  longitudinal  section  of  the  digital  re- 
gion in  its  median  plane. 

Its  object  is  to  show  the  spongeous  substance  in  the  in- 
terior of  the  bone,  the  fibrous  intersections  in  the  plantar 
cushion  of  the  articular  and  tendinous  synovial  sheaths,  and 
of  the  plantar  cushion  (or  pad)  in  the  interior  of  the  hoof 
under  the  third  phalanx  and  the  navicular  bone. 

A.  Inferior  part  of  the  pad  (cushion). 

B.  Ligamentous  bands  (filaments)   representing  the  structure   of  the 

fibrous  body  forming  the  plantar  pad. 

C.  Enveloping  fibrous  membrane  of  the  plantar  pad. 

D.  Point  of  insertion  of  the  plantar  pad  to  the  inferior  face  of  the 

bone  of  the  foot. 

E.  Spongeous  substance  of  the  interior  of  the  second  phalanx. 

F.  Articulation  of  the  first  phalanx  with  the  second. 

H.    Branches  of  the  perf  oratus  at  its  insertion  to  the  lateral  'parts  of 

the  second  phalanx,  or  small  pastern  bone. 
I.    Insertion  of  the  plantar  aponeurosis  to  the  semi-lunar  crest. 

K.    Interior  of  the  first  phalanx. 

L.    Section  of  the  perforatus  tendon. 

M.  Transverse  ligament  of  the  yellow  fibrous  tissue  uniting  the  an- 
terior face  of  the  perforans  to  the  posterior  face  of  the  os 
coronae,  etc.  (2d  phalanx). 

N.  Diverticulum  of  the  sheath  of  the  articulation  of  the  foot  between 
the  little  sesamoid  and  the  third  phalanx. 

O.    Little  sesamoidal  sheath. 

P.     Capsule  of  the  articulation  of  the  foot  set  superiorly  against  the 

cul  du  sac  of  the  great  sesamoidal  sheath. 
T.    Perforans  tendon. 

Y.    Metacarpo-phalangial  articulation,  or  fetlock  joint. 


FL^TE   ¥111 


FLJLTE   ¥IH. 


This  plate  represents  a  transverse  section  of  the  poste- 
rior part  of  the  foot  behind  the  phlanges,  between  the  two 
fibro-cartilages. 

It  shows  the  disposition  of  the  bulbs  of  the  plantar  pad, 
or  cushion,  the  stratified  layers  of  the  pyramidal  body,  the 
hight  of  the  cartilages  of  the  hoof,  and  the  direction  of  the 
bars. 

B.  Bulb  of  the  plantar  pad  (or  cushion). 

C.  Internal  face  of  the  fibro-cartilages,  or  lateral  cartilages. 

C.  Hight  of  the  hoof. 

D.  Part  of  the  lateral  band  of  the  reinforcing  sheath  of  the  perforans. 

E.  Point    of   junction  of    the  inferior  border    of    the  cartilages  with 

the  substance  of  the  plantar  pad,  or  cushion. 

F.  Longitudinal  depression  of  the  anterior  face  of   the   plantar  pad. 

G.  Stratified  layers  of  the  plantar  pad  in  the  pyramidal  body. 
Z.    Superior  surface  of  the  bars. 

Y.    Thickness  and  direction  of  the  bars. 


FL^Tl  IX. 


FL1.T1    IX. 


Arterial   Vessels. 

The  figure  shows  the  superficial  disposition    of   the    dig- 
ital artery  on  the  lateral  face  of  the  phalanges. 

A.  A',  A".     Digital  artery  from  its  emerging  point  abo\e  the  great  ses- 

amoids   to   the    point   where    it   disappears  under    the    plate   of 
cartilages  in  N. 

B.  Anterior   transverse   branch    at  the  metacarpo-phalangial  articula- 

tion. 

C.  Perpendicular  artery. 

D.  Ascending  branch  of  the  perpendicular  artery. 

E.  Descending  branch  of  the  perpendicular  artery. 

F.  Transverse    branch    forming  with    the    corresponding  one  the  su- 

perficial coronary  circle. 
f.     Descending  ramuscules  in  the  pad  of  the  superficial  coronary  circle, 
f.     Ascending    ramuscules    of    the    podophyllous    tissue,    or    sensitive 

laminiB. 

G.  Posterior  transverse  branches  of  the  metacarpo-phalangial  articu- 

lation. 

K.     Artery  of  the  planter  pad,   or  cushion. 

P.     Circumflex  artery. 

U,  U.  Ascending  terminal  divisions  of  the  digital  artery  ;  they  emerge 
from  the  porosities  of  the  third  phalanx,  and  send  ramifica- 
tions to  the   podophyllous  tissue. 


FLUTE   X, 


PLATE   X 


Arterial    Vessels. 

The  figure  represents  the  superficial  disposition  of  the 
digital  artery  at  the  superior  face  of  the  first  two  phalanges 
and  at  the  inferior  face  of  the  third. 

A,  A'.     Digital  artery  in  its  passage  along  the  phalanges. 

G.    Posterior  transverse  branches    of    the  metacarpo-phalangial  artic- 
ulation. 

H.    Branches  above  one  another  at  intervals. 

K.    Artery  of  the  plantar  j^ad,  or  cushion. 

L.    Internal  branch  of  the  artery  of  the  plantar  pad. 

P,  P,  P.     Circumflex  artery. 

Y,  Y.    Solar  arteries,  or  arteries  of  plantar  surface. 


PLATE   XI, 


Arterial    Vessels. 

The  figure  shows  the  deep  disposition  of  the  digital  ar- 
tery at  the  posterior  face  of  the  first  two  phalanges,  and  in  the 
interior  of  the  third  seen  from  its   inferior  face. 

A,  A'.    Digital  artery. 

C.    Perpendicular  artery  at  its  point  of  origin. 

H.    One  of    the    branches   running  posteriorly,  destined   to    the    per- 

forans  tendon,   in  which  it  ramifies  itself. 
J.     Deep-seated  branch. 

K.    Point  of  origin  of  the  artery  of  the  plantar  pad. 
M.     Deep  transverse  branch,  completing  behind   the    front  superficial 

coronary  circle. 

S.  Plantar  artery  or  posterior  terminal  branch,  in  the  plantar  fissure, 
and  in  the  semi-lunar  sinus,  where  it  forms  with  its  analogue  the 
semi-lunar  anastomosis. 

V,  V.  Radiated  divisions  of  the  digital  artery  emanating  from  the  con- 
vexity of  the  semi-lunar  anastomosis,  and  following  the  direction 
of  the  descending  canals  of  the  third  phalanx  to  go  and  con- 
tribute to  the  formation  of  the  circumflex  artery  at  the  exterior 
circumference  of  the  notched  border  of  the  bone. 


I 


PLATE   XII 


PLATE   XO 


This  figure  represents  the  principle  nerves  of  the  digital 
region. 

The  plantar  nerve  occupies  the  same  situation,  but  the 
divisions  which  emanate  from  it  are  more  numerous  and  more 
anastomotic. 

P.     Plantar  nerve. 

A.  Point    of    emergence  of   the    plantar   nerve  above   the  sesamoids. 

B,  B.     Cartilaginous  branch. 

C,  C.     Cutaneous  branch. 

D.  Digital  artery. 
F\    Bulbous  branch. 

G.    Transverse    branch    behind  the  metacarpo-phalangial  articulation. 

I.    Nerve  of  the  plantar  pad. 

L.  Lateral  baud,  or  filamentous  stay,  of  the  proper  tunic  of  the 
plantar  pad.  It  crosses  obliquely  from  backward  forward,  and 
from  upward  downward,   the  direction  of  the  plantar  nerve. 

V.    Digital  vein. 


FLJiTE   XIII. 


PLATE   XIII. 


This  figure  represents  on  the  digital  region,  seen  from 
three-fourths  behind,  the  disposition  of  the  plantar  nerve  on 
the  posterior  face  of  the  phalanges  of  the  terminal  divisions 
in  the  interior  of  the  bone  of  the  foot. 

P.  Plantar  nerve. 

A.  Point  of  emergence  of  the  plantar  nerve  above  the  sesamoids. 

B.  Cartilaginous  branch. 

C.  Cutaneous  branch. 

D.  Digital  artery. 

H.     Occasional  divison  destined  to  the  cartilaginous  bulbs. 
I,  I.    Branch  of  the  plantar  pad. 
K.    Transverse  coronary  branch. 
M.    Podophyllous  division. 
O.    Pre-plantar  nerve. 

Q.    Descending  branch  in  the  patilobe  fissure. 

R.    Arterial   ramuscules  accompanying  the  digital  artery  in  the  plan- 
tar fissure. 

"V.    Vein   foUovping    sometimes  behind   the    plantar  nerve    in    all   its 
phalangial   course.     This  vessel  does  not  always  exist. 


PLJiTl   XI¥, 


PLATE   XI¥, 


The  object  of  this  figure  is  to  show  the  disposition  of 
the  capillary  vessels  in  the  tegument  of  the  digital  region  seen 
sidewise. 

A.  A.     Arterial  vessels  of   the  skin. 

B.  B\  Arterial  vessels  of  the  coronary  band,   or  cushion. 

R.    Villosities  of  the  coronary  cushion.     This  vessel  does  not  always 
exist. 

This  figure  represents  the  principal  perioplic  bourrelet, 
the  coronary  groove  and  the  podophyllous  tissue  or  sensitive 
laminae. 

A,  B.     Principal  coronse  (or  cutidura)  with  the  villosities  covering  it. 

C.  Superior  border  of  the  coronary  cushion. 

D.  Perioplic  coronary  groove. 

B.  Perioplic  (pad)  covered  withJittle  horny  substance. 

F.  Inferior  border  of  the  cushion. 

G.  Podophyllous  tissue,   or  sensitive  laminjB. 

H.     Villosities  of  the  inferior  extremity  of  the  podophyllous  laminae. 

E.  Arterial  vessels. 

K.     Small  arterial  branches. 


PLATE   X¥ 


This  figure  represents  the  superior  face  of  the  floor 
of  the  hoof,  formed  by  the  sole  and  the  frog.  The  wall  has 
been  cut  at  the  level  of  the  sole,  in  order  to  show  the  ter- 
mination of  the  horny  leaves  in  the  edge,  or  border  of  the 
sole 

A.  Circular  digital  cavity  at  the  point  of  reunion  of  the  sole  and  the 

wall. 

B.  Superior  border  of  the  frog. 

C.  Termination  of  the  horny  leaves  in  the  edge  of  the  sole. 

D.  Cavity  formed  by  the  superior  face  of  the  frog. 

E.  Ridge  of  the  frog,   or  frog  stay. 

F.  Groove  of  the  superior  face  of  the  frog. 

G.  External  face  of  the  glomes  of  the  frog. 

N.  Keraphyllous  tissue  at  the  internal  face  of  the  bars. 

O.  Cutigeral  cavity  at  the  level  of  the  angles  of  inflection. 

X.  Bottom  of  the  angle  of  inflection. 

y.  Point  of  termination  of  the  bars  at  the  lateral  parts  of  the  frog. 


PLJITI    X¥I 


View  of  the  hoof  from  its  inferior  face. 

P.  The  wall. 

S.  The  sole. 

L.  The   frog. 

A.  Line  indicating  the  commissure  of  the  sole  and  the  wall,  known 

as  the  linea  alba,  or  white  line. 

B.  Angle  of  inflection  of  wall  of  the  heels  (buttress). 

C.  Superior  border  of  buttress. 

D.  Region  of   the  heels  of  the  foot  within  the  angle  known  as  seat 

of  corn. 

E.  Inferior  border  of  the  bars. 

F.  External  face  of  the  bars  lining  the  lateral    lacunae    of    the  frog. 

G.  Glomes  of  the  frog,   or  bulbs  of  the  heels. 

H.  Terminal  extremity  of  the  bars  at  the  sides  of  the  frog 

I.  Point  of  the  frog. 

K.  Branches  of  the  frog. 

M.  Regions  of  the  mamellas  of  the  hoof. 

P.    Region  of  the  toe  of  the  hoof. 
Q.    Median  lacuna  of  the  frog. 

U.    Region  of  the  quarters. 


HOW   TO   TELIx    THE    AGE. 

IT  is  sometimes  very  important  to  be  able  to  determine  the  age  of 
a  horse  ;  and  as  this  is  indicated  most  surely  by  the  teeth,  I  have 
had  made,  under  my  special  supervision,  a  large  proportion  of 
the  illustrations  here  given,  which  will  be  found  the  fullest  and  most 


Fig.  373.— The  Teeth. 

complete  published  in  this  country.  I  encountered  very  serious  dif- 
ficulties in  obtaining  these  illustrations,  as  I  found  it  next  to  impos- 
sible to  give  the  artist  an  idea  of  the  changes  occurring  in  the  teeth 
and  form  of  the  jaw  with  age,  but  they  are  as  accurate  as  I  could  se- 
cure.    I  have  tried  also  to  make 

the  description  so  simple  as  to 

enable  any  ordinary  person   to 

determine    the    age    of    horses 

with  considerable    accuracy,  or 

so    nearly    as  to  prevent  being 

seriously    imposed     upon.        In 

doing  this,  I  have  not  hesitated 

to  appropriate  the  language  o 

others    when     adapted     to     my 

purpose. 

At  first  the  jaw  is  small,   and 
to  accommodate  the  position,  temporary,   or  what  is  termed  milk 
teeth,  are  grown  ;  these  are  succeeded  by  permanent  teeth,  as  the 
jaws  become  larger  and  stronger.     As  the  front  teeth,  or  nippers, 
only  are  usually  studied  to  note  the  changes  which  determine  the 

(121) 


Fig.  373.— One 
Week  Old. 


Fig.  374.— Six  Weeks. 


122 


HOW    TO    TELL    THE    AGE. 


age  of  a  horse  up  to  eight  years,  I  will  try  to  give  such  an  explana- 
tion of  them  as  will  serve  to  aid  the  general  reader  in  catching  the 

points  of  these  changes  most  clearly. 

When  the  colt  is  one  week  old,  the  two 
central  nippers  are  grown  about  as  represented 
in  Fig.  373.     In  from  five  to  six  weeks,  another 


incisor   will  appear    on  either  side  of  the  two 

first,  and  the  mouth  will  appear  something  like 

Fig.    374.      At    two    months'    they    will    have 

reached  their   natural   level,  and   between   the 

„  «..«,.     second  and  third  months  the  second  pair  will 

Fig.  375.— One  Year  Old.     ,  ,  ,  _,  .,,     i  ,        • 

have  overtaken  them,      i  hey   will  then   begm 

to  wear  away  a  little,  and  the  outer  edge,  which  was  at  first 
somewhat  raised  and  sharp,  is  brought  to  a  level  with  the  inner  one  ; 
and  so  the  mouth  continues  until  some 
time  between  the  sixth  and  ninth  months, 
when  another  nipper  begins  to  appear  on 
each  side  of  the  two  first,  making  six 
above  and  below,  and  completing  the 
colt's  mouth  ;  after  which  the  only  ob- 
servable difference,  until  between  the  sec- 
ond and  third  years,  is  in  the  wear  of 
these  teeth. 

The  teeth  are  covered  with  a  polished, 
hard  substance,  called  enamel.     It  spreads 
over   that  portion  of  the  teeth  which  ap- 
pears above  the   gum  ;  and   not   only  so,  but  as  they  are  to  be  so 
much  employed  in  nipping  the  grass,  and  gathering  up  the  animal's 

food  (and  in  such  employment  even  this 
hard  substance  must  be  gradually  worn 
away),  a  portion  of  it,  as  it  passes  over 
the  upper  surface  of  the  teeth,  is  bent  in- 
ward and  sunk  into  the  body  of  the  teeth, 
and  forms  a  little  pit  in  them.  The  inside 
and  bottom  of  this  pit  being  blackened  by 
the  food,  constitutes  the  mark  of  the  teeth, 
by  the  gradual  disappearan^ce  of  which,  in 
consequence  of  the  wearing  down  of  the 
edges,  we  are  enabled  for  several  years  to 
determine  the  age  of  the  horse. 

The  colt's  nipping-teeth  are  rounded  in  front,  somewhat  hollow 
toward  the  mouth,  and  present  at  first  a  cutting  surface,  with  the 


Fig.  376.— Twenty  Months. 


-Two  Years. 


HOW    TO    TELL    THE    AGE. 


123 


Fig.  378.— From  Two  and  One  Half 
to  Three  Years. 


outer  edge  rising  in  a  slanting  direction  above  the  inner  edge.  This, 
however,  soon  begins  to  wear  down,  until  both  surfaces  are  level, 
and    the    mark,  which  was    originally   long    and    narrow,    becomes 

shorter,  and  wider,  and  fainter.    At 
six  months    the    four  nippers    are 
beginning  to  wear  to  a  level.     Fig. 
375  will  convey  a  good  idea  of  the 
appearance  of  the  teeth  at  twelve 
months.     The    four    middle    teeth 
are  almost   level,   and    the    corner 
ones  becoming   so.     The   mark  in 
the  two  middle  teeth  is  wide  and 
faint  ;  in  the  two  next  teeth  it  is 
darker,  and  longer,  and  narrower  ; 
and  in  the  corner  teeth  it  is  dark- 
est, and  longest,  and  narrowest.     At  the  age  of  one  year  and  a  half, 
the   mark   in  the   central  nippers  will  be  much  shorter  and  fainter  ; 
that  in  the  other  two  pairs  will  have  undergone  considerable  change, 
and  all   the   nippers  will   be  flat.     At  two  years  this  will  be  more 
plainly  marked.     Fig.  377  is   intended  to  show   the  appearance   of 
the  mouth  at  this  stage. 

Fig.  378  is  intended  to  show  the  appearance  of  the  mouth  at 
two  and  a  half  to  three  years  old. 
The  next  is  intended  to  show  it  at 
three  and  a  half  years  old.  The  two 
central  permanent  teeth  are  growing 
down,  and  are  larger  than  the  others, 
with  two  grooves  in  the  outer  con- 
vex surface,  and  the  mark  is  long, 
narrow,  deep,  and  black.  Not  hav- 
ing yet  attained  their  full  growth, 
they  are  lower  than  the  others.  The 
mark  in  the  two  next  nippers  is 
nearly  worn  out,  and  is  wearing  away 
in  the  corner  nippers. 

Between  three  and  a  half  and  four 
years  the  central  nippers  have  at- 
tained to  nearly  their  full  growth,  and  the  second  pair  will  have 
so  far  displaced  the  temporary  teeth  as  to  appear  through  the  gums, 
while  the  corner  ones  will  be  diminished  in  breadth,  worn  down,  and 
the  mark  become  small  and  faint. 

At  four  years  the  central  nippers  will  be  fully  developed  ;  the 


Fig.  379.— About  Three  and  One 
Half  Years. 


124 


HOW    TO    TELL    THE    AGE. 


sharp  edge  somewhat  worn  off,  and  the  mark  shorter,  wider,  and 
fainter.  The  next  pair  will  be  up,  but  they  will  be  small,  with  the 
mark  deep,  and  extending  quite  across  them. 


Fig.  380. — At  Four  to  Four  and  One 
Half  Years. 


Fig.  381.— At  Four  Years. 


At  four  years  and  a  half,  or  between  that  and 
five,  the  corner  nippers  are  shed,  and  the  perma- 
nent ones  begin  to  appear,  something  like  Fig.  380 
The  central  nippers  are  considerably  worn,  and 
the  next  pair  are  commencing  to  show  the  marks 
of  usage.  The  tush  has  now  protruded,  and  is 
fully  a  half  inch  in  hight  ;  externally  it  has  a 
rounded  prominence,  with  a  groove  or  hollow  in 
the  inside. 

At  five  years  the  horse's  mouth  is  almost  per- 
fect. The  corner  nippers  are  quite  up,  with  a 
long,  deep,  irregular  mark  on  the  inside,  and  the 
other  nippers  are  showing  the  effects  of  increased 
wear.  The  tush  is  much  grown,  the  grooves  on 
the  inside  have  almost  or  quite  disappeared,  and 
the  outer  surface  is  regularly  convex.  It  is  still  as  concave  within, 
and  the  edge  nearly  as  sharp  as  it  was  six  months  before. 

At  six  years  the  mark  on  the  central  nippers  is  worn  out. 
In  the  next  pair  the  mark  is  shorter,  broader,  and  fainter  ;  and  in 
the  corner  teeth  the  edges  of  the  enamel  are  more  regular,  and  the 
surface  is  evidently  worn.  The  tush  has  attained  its  full  growth, 
being  nearly  or  quite  an  inch  in  length  ;  convex  outward,  concave 
within  ;  tending  to  a  point,  and  the  extremity  somewhat  curved. 
The  horse  may  now  be  said  to  have  a  perfect  mouth,  as  all  the  teeth 
are  produced  and  fully  grown 


Wk 

'TO 

"^g^BaHi 

1 

p 

H 

1 

1 

Wk 

Ik 

fl 

MJJB 

u 

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^HH 

H 

Ml 

P^SI 

s 

■ 

^91 

3 

^m 

^^^pi 

^ 

s 

^ai 

Fig.  382 —About  Four 
Years. 


NOW    TO    TELL    THE    AGE. 


125 


Fig.  383.— At  Five  Years. 


At  seven  years,  the  mark,  in  the  way  in  which  we  have  de- 
scribed it,  is  worn  out  in  the  central  nippers,  and  fast  wearing  away 
in  the  corner  teeth  ;  the  tush  also  is  beginning  to  be  altered.  It  is 
rounded  at  the  point,  rounded  at 
the  edges,  still  round  without, 
and  beginning  to  get  round  inside. 
At  eight  years  the  tush  is 
rounder  in  every  way  ;  the  mark 
is  gone  from  all  the  bottom  nip- 
pers, and  it  may  almost  be  said  to 
be  out  of  the  mouth.  There  is 
nothing  remaining  in  the  bottom 
nippers  that  can  afterward  clearly 
show  the  age  of  the  horse.  The 
upper  nippers  will  give  some  indi- 
cations, but  nothing  certain. 

After    the    age    of   eight    years, 
there  are   no  points  that  will   en- 
able determining  age  with  any   degree  of  accuracy.     A  horse  that 
is  fed  on  corn  will  show  an  older  mouth  than  one  that  is  fed  on  oats 
and  sloppy  feed. 

The  usual  time  for  determining 
a  horse's  age  is  in  May  ;  but  a  colt 
may  come  any  time  between  then 
and  fall,  so  that  the  wearing  away 
of  the  teeth  or  disappearing  of  the 
marks  or  cups  may  in  some  cases 
indicate  the  horse  to  be  older  or 
younger  than  he  really  is.  These 
conditions  must  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration. 

At  six  years  the  teeth  are  rather 
short,  flat,  or  wide,  and  the  gums 
run  across  them  horizontally, 
something  like  Fig.  384.  After 
the  eighth  year  the  gums  begin  to 
recede  from  the  center,  and  the  teeth  become  longer  in  appear- 
ance. By  looking  at  Fig.  390,  showing  twelve  years,  we  can  see 
that  the  gum  is  receded  and  run  to  a  sharp  point  at  the  center  of 
the  teeth.  At  twenty  years,  the  teeth  are  considerably  narrower 
and  longer,  and  the  gums  are  drawn  back  sharper. 


Fig.  384.— At  Six  Years. 


126 


now    TO    TELL    THE    AGE. 


By  observing  the  face  of  the  teeth,  there  will  gradually  be  seen 
a  change  to  the  triangular  form,  which  can  best  be  seen  and   de- 


FiG.  385. — About  Seven  Years. 


Fig.  386.— At  Eigtil  Years. 


scribed  by  Figs.  395,  396.  From  the  age  of  four- 
teen, we  see  this  is  more  noticeable,  the  middle 
nippers  gradually  increasing  and  extending  out 
to  the  corner  ones,  as  indicated  by  Fig.  397. 
From  fifteen  to  eighteen  this  triangular  form  be- 
comes'  laterally  contracted,  so  that  at  about 
twenty  and  afterward  the  teeth  become  biangular. 
As  before  explained,  there  are  great  peculiarities 
in  the  form  of  the  teeth  with  advanced  age.  The 
most  common  is  shown  by  Fig.  397.     I  include 

a  somewhat 
rare  f o  r  m 
shown  by  ex- 
treme  age. 
(See  Fig.  398.) 
Many  curious 


Fig.  387.— At  Eigtil 
Years. 


Fig.  388.— About  Eight  Years. 


tricks  and  methods  of  telling  the 
horse'.s  age  after  eight  years  old 
have  been  shown  the  writer  at 
various  times,  such  as  wrinkles 
about  the  eyes,  root  of  the 
tail,  etc.,  none  of  which  give  the 
idea  so  correctly  as  the  genera 
appearance  of  the  teeth  and  ab- 
sorption   of  the  jaws.     In  young 


UOW    TO    TELL    THE   AGE. 


127 


Fig.  389.— Abcul  Six  Years  Old. 


horses  the  edge  of  the  lower  jaw  is  round   and   full  ;  as   the   horse 
becomes  older,  this  edge  becomes  sharper  and  thinner. 

The  most  unique  trick  shown  the 
writer  of  telling  the  age  was  the  fol- 
lowing : — 

If  a  gold  ring  be  attached  to  a  hair 
pulled  from  the  tail  or  mane  of  a 
horse,  and  suspended  directly  above 
his  head  between  his  ears,  it  will 
oscillate,  like  a  pendulum,  just  the 
number  of  times  the  horse  is  years 
old,  then  stop  and  repeat.  I  have 
repeatedly  made  the  experiment, 
and  it  certainly  seemed  to  repeat 
the  age  of  the  horse  ;  but  I  could  not  feel  satisfied  that  the  motion 

of  the  ring  was  not  in  a 
great  measure  controlled 
by  the  involuntary  move- 
ment of  the  hand.  The 
man  who  gave  the  idea 
made  the  experiment  in 
the  presence  of  the  writer, 
with  apparent  success. 

Jockeys  frequently  re- 
sort to  cutting  down  the 
teeth  of  aged  horses,  so 
as  to  simulate  as  much  as 
possible  the  appearance 
of  the  mouth  at  eight  or  nine  years  of  age.  This  was  formerly 
done  by  sawing  or  filing,  but  more 
recently  there  has  been  invented, 
by  Dr.  Lancer,  a  leading  veterinary 
surgeon  of  New  Jersey,  a  very  in- 
genious instrument  for  chipping 
off  the  teeth,  so  that  the  front  nip- 
pers can  be  cut  down  very  quickly 
and  easily  by  any  amateur.  But 
the  breadth  of  the  teeth  and  other 
changes  of  form,  as  explained,  will 
expose  the  deception  ;  also  the 
deep  hollow  and  gray  hair  about 
the  eyes,  with  the  under  lip  con-         Fig.  391.— Aboi;t  Twenty  Years  Old. 


Fig.  390.— About  Twelve  Years  Old. 


128 


I/OW    TO    TELL    THE    AGE. 


siderably  pendant.  This  treatment  is  called  "  Bishoping,"  from  the 
name  of  the  man  who  introduced  it  in  England,  and  is  practiced 
very  largely  by  jockeys  in  the  larger  cities  of  this  country,  espe- 
cially in  New  York. 


Fig.  392.— About  Eleven  Years  of  Age, 


Fig.  393.— Mouth  of  the 
Mare  at  Thirteen  Years. 


I  wish  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  horses, 
especially  those  advanced  in  years,  are  liable 
to  have  the  teeth  in  wearing  overlap  one  an- 
other, become  very  rough,  and  wound  the  inside 
of  the  cheeks  ;  or  the  grinders  become  irregular 
in  length  when  they  do  not  come  opposite  each 
other  in  shutting,  or  the  teeth  become  carious 
and  break  away  when  not  correspondingly  worn 
with  the  others,  shoot  up  to  a  degree  to  pene- 
trate the  jaw,  causing  soreness  and  inflamma- 
tion, and  seriously  interfering  with  eating. 

The  writer  saw  a  very  interesting  case  of 
this  kind  at  the  Columbia  Veterinary  College, 
in  which  the  unobstructed  tooth  had  seriously 
penetrated  into  the  upper  jaw.  In  the  endeavor 
to  relieve  the  pressure  of  the  parts,  the  animal 
evidently  masticated  the  food  wholly  upon  the 
opposite  side  of  the  mouth  ;  in  consequence  of  this  the  teeth  on  this 
side  were  so  worn  down  that  both  upper  and  lower  jaws  were 
twisted  around  more  than  an  inch  out  of  line. 

Sometimes  caries,  or  ulceration  of  a  tooth,  produces  such  serious 
disturbance  that  there  may  be  an  enlargement  of  the  parts,  growth 
of  fungus,  or  necrosis  of  the  parts.  This,  too,  is  much  more  com- 
mon than  is  suspected.  Prof.  Cressy,  of  Hartford,  called  my  atten- 
tion to  a  case  in  which  a  back  tooth  in  the  lower  jaw  became  ulcer- 


FiG.  394.— Mouth  of  the 
Mare  at  Thirteen  Years. 


MOW    TO    TELL    THE   AGE. 


129 


Fig.  395.— At  Fourteen  Years  Old. 


ated,  causing  much  enlargement  of  the  jaw.     He  first  removed  the 

tooth,  then  divided  the  skin  at  the  lower  edge  of  the  jaw,  and'  with 

a  drill  made  a  hole  through  the 

bone.     Through  this  hole  he  put 

a  seton  to  keep  the  parts  open 

until  a  healthy  healing   process 

should   be    produced.     A  strong 

preparation  of  carbolic  acid  was 

put  upon  the  seton,  and  dressed 

once  a  day,  which  finally  effected 

a  perfect  cure. 

When  the  horse,  without  any 

apparent  cause,  is  running  down, 

munching,  or  eating  his  food  but 

slowly,  especially  if  there  is  any 

lateral  action  of  the  jaw,  examine  the  mouth  carefully  to  see  whether 

there  is  any  noticeable  cause  of 
trouble  in  the  teeth.  If  rough 
and  irregular,  they  should  be 
rasped  down.  The  method  of 
doing  this  is  now  so  well  under- 
stood as  to  scarcely  need  ex- 
planation. 

The  rasping  down  of  all  ir- 
regularities should  be  carefully 
done,  and  if  there  is  a  decayed 
tooth  it  should  be  removed  by 
a  veterinary    surgeon    who    is 

conversant  with  the  simplest  and  best  method  of  doing  it.     There 

are  regular  horse-dentistry  im- 
plements   in    general    use    for 


this  purpose,  which  can  be 
easily  obtained.  If  the  tooth 
has  grown  down  below  the 
level  of  the  others,  it  should 
be  rasped  or  sawed  off  to  the 
proper  dimensions,  and  care- 
fully watched  afterward  so  as 
to  remove  any  undue  growth 
harmful  to  the  opposite  parts. 

21  a 


Fig.  396.— At  Sixteen  Years  Old. 


Fig.  397.— From  Seventeen  to  Eighteen  Years- 


180 


HOW    TO    TELL    THE    AGE. 


If  there  is  any  enlargement  of  either  jaw,  more  especially  of  the 
upper  one,  with  perhaps  a  running  sore  offensive  to  the  smell ;  and 
if  in  addition  there  is  offensive  matter  running  from  the  nostril  on 
that  side,  the  trouble  may  be  suspected  as  arising  from  a  carious 
tooth,  and  the  jaw  on  that  side  must  be  carefully  examined. 


Fig.  398. — Extreme  Age. 


Fig.  399.— Ideal  Colt's  Mouth. 


It  may  be  asked,   How  is  it,  if  the  trouble  arises  from  a  carious 
tooth,  that  the  matter  comes  from  the  nostrils .? 

Answer  :  By   the  imprisoned  matter  forming   a  sinus  into  the 
nasal  cavity. 

The  treatment  for  all  such  cases  is,  first,  in  the  removing  of  the 

offending  cause,  namely,  the  tooth  it- 
self, and  also,  as  far  as  possible,  the 
dead  or  diseased  parts,  and  favoring 
a  healthy  condition  of  growth  by 
cleansing  out  the  parts  with  a  strong 
solution  of  carbolic  acid  or  chloride 
of  lime,  or  any  good  disinfectant. 
Next,  protect  the  parts  from  the  lodg- 
ment of  particles  of  food,  by  filling 
with  a  pledget  of  tow  saturated  with  the  tincture  of  myrrh,  or  any 
good  healing  astringent,  and  dress  once  a  day.  If  there  is  diseased 
bone  or  fungus  growth,  it  should  be  treated  the  same  as  for  other 
difficulties  of  the  same  kind.* 

*  Since  writing  the  above,  my  attention  has  been  called  to  an  article  in  the  Journal  of  Com- 
parative Medicine  and  Sur(/ery,  of  April,  1883,  by  Dr.  Robert  Jennings,  of  Detroit,  Mich.,  in 
which  he  refers  to  a  large  number  of  cases  of  this  description. 


Fig.  400. — Irregular  Growtti  of  Teeth. 


Webster  Family  Library  of  Veterinary  Medicine 

Cunrimings  School  of  Veterinary  (VJediclne  at 

Tufts  University 

200  VVestboro  Road 

Wortli  Grafton,  MA  01536  .    . . 


KTJscatJCi-a'x  ■; 


